‘Wallet’ beads seem to be derived from ‘cowries’ popular as beads for girdles during the Middle Kingdom1. The stylized shell cannot be identified with certainty2 but is probably Avicula3. Most are from the New Kingdom
Bracelet with five wallet hollow gold beads L 1.1 New Kingdom Dynasty 17-18
© The Trustees of the British Museum #EA14696, see enlargement
L 1.1
Carnelian L 1.5, H 1.2, T 0.6 New
Kingdom Private collection DA
References
1See the description of British Museum #EA 14696
2Andrews C. Amulets of ancient Egypt, 1994, Fig. 43c
3Description de l’Egypte, Vol. 2, 1817, Paris, p. 53, Planche 11, Fig. 6