A closer look
In ancient Egypt, the distinctive braided beard was considered a sacred attribute belonging exclusively to the immortal gods. To outwardly project divine authority and legitimate their ruling power, mortal pharaohs strapped highly stylized, artificial metallic beards to their chins during important state ceremonies. Fascinatingly, even powerful female rulers like Hatshepsut wore these ceremonial false beards to command the exact same level of religious reverence as their male counterparts.
