The flourishing of a flower

Lotus blossoms mark the outer edges of this necklace. The flower is turned to the side, allowing the tops of the petals to be attached to a rectangular unit. Holes within this unit made it possible to push a thread through and fasten the lotuses in line with the horse compartments. The lotuses were used as clasps to secure the necklace behind the neck. These types of collar-ends were not unusual. In fact, they were typical for Egyptian broad collars.

Although the precise meaning of the lotus symbol might differ from place to place, overall the lotus was seen as an embodiment of holiness and life.See: Rezania, Pedram. ‘Symbol of Lotus in Ancient World’. Life Science Journal 8, no. 3 (1 January 2011): 309–12. Around the eight century BCE, the image of the lotus and its corresponding myth transferred from the Levant to Mesopotamia and eventually to Iran, India and even into China.