Ladies at the Loom: Examining Intersections of Gender and Textiles in New Kingdom Egypt

In a society like New Kingdom Dynastic Egypt, where men’s perspectives and spheres of influence dominated the literary and artistic output, insight into women's lives often must come from sources outside of state-sponsored programs. New Kingdom women’s lives centered around the home and included keeping up the house, raising children and the production of clothing and textiles. Women produced these textiles not only for themselves and their families but, in an age before standardized currency, they also produced them as valuable commodities to trade and sell. This led to women not only dominating the trends within Egyptian clothing and textiles throughout the New Kingdom, but also driving the growth of the New Kingdom economy through the valuable product of linen. This project aims to examine women in New Kingdom Egypt and how their societal perception and role intersects with the textile industry, ultimately demonstrating that clothing and textiles give women the power to affect change, demonstrate their skills, and exert control within a socially acceptable space.