he nemes-headcloth, the most used headcloth in the representation of the Pharaoh, was, originaly, only made by a simple piece of cloth, which, applied to a head or a wig, made it possible to cover it and protect it. This original cloth had a rectangular form and its provision on the head was simple : higher edge came to place the length of the face, circumvented the ears for, finally, hanging in the vacuum above the shoulders.

With the back, instead of leaving free fabric, the ends were surely brought closer and laid out in a cadenette. By this provision on a head, even shaven, certain parts of the nemes, like the temporal areas or the cap, will appear, but they are not yet completely clear as it will be the case as of the "succeeded" first nemes of IVe dynasty.

By observing the statue of Djoser preserved at the Egyptian museum of Cairo (JE 49158), it seems obvious that this headcloth covered a wig or hair, and thus played his protective part. This wig is not visible in its totality, the higher part being covered by fabric, it's not thus obvious to study it and of knowing which was its form, in particular on the level top of the head.

Astonishment, the statues which we have of its successors do not show us already more wig (for example, the head of sphinx of Didoufri preserved at the Louvre (E 12626) or various statues of Khephren)!

Which form could have this wig well?

There exists, fortunately, some rare works presenting a wig strong resembling at that which Djoser carries. They are statues dating exclusively with the reign from Amenemhat III : a chest representing the Pharaoh dressed like a priest, covered with a skin of leopard, discovered in the temple of Sobek, at Mit Faris, and preserved at the Cairo museum (JE 20001); a bust preserved at Rome, in the museum of the Thermes (8607) and a group of statues, commonly called "the Double-Nile", representing two characters whose arms, posed on floral reasons, propose fish in offerings, and preserved at the Cairo museum (CG 392).

It appears obvious, by observing these three statues, that if one had wanted to protect these so particular wigs by covering them with a cloth, it was irremediably the form of the nemes which was to be essential, because every characteristics of these wigs seem to correspond to an element of the headcloth.

Let us detail them.

The pocket at the back of the nemes seems the best suitable one to contain the braids than one finds in the back of all the statues. These braids, re-installed in a compact mass, could thus be maintained on the nape of the neck and fill this pocket, which will give to the nemes one its principal characteristics.

As for the large central braid, surely too thick to be raised like the others, there was hardly other alternative to practise an opening in the medium of the pocket to let it leave, leaves to lock up the end in a rigid sheath of it.

With front, the two clusters of braids are left in place and covered by the fabric which will evolve, gradually, to give the lappets.

On the level of the face, the thickness of the hair being less important, the cloth can easily cover them and adopt the round form top of the head and the face.

The known first nemes after Djoser is that which the head of sphinx of Didoufri carries, preserved at the Louvre (E 12626). On this head, all the parts of the headcloth (with share the braid, absent and lappets, destroyed) are such as they will be represented thereafter until the end of the Egyptian history and the wig already disappeared. One can then put the question to know how this so particular wig could disappear so brutally in the representation of the headcloth.

There does not exist, to my knowledge, that two works which can help us in the comprehension of the disappearance of this wig. They are two heads of the reign of Mykerinos discovered by George REISNER on the plate of Gizeh, and preserved, one in Cairo (JE 40471) and the other in Boston (09.204).

These two works are detached from works carrying a nemes because one can observe reasons being connected with hair which are distributed on the face and the temples for the head of Cairo, and only on the temples for that of Boston.

One does not know unfortunately the chronological distribution of these two works, but logic would like that the head preserved at Cairo was carried out before that of Boston. There would be thus a progressive disappearance of the wig, first of all on the level of the face, then then on the level of the temples.

It is important to point out here that the straps are never represented on the nemes before Mykerinos, while after its reign, they will be it always. It is extremely possible that the reasons for the wig on the level of the temples have summers covered by fabric, and that they would have then preserved this form to become the straps.