This paper describes how two different ancient Egyptian beaded items of dress, a bead net dress and a bead mask, were, during conservation, reconstructed for display in museums. The beaded dress was literally created by the conservator by rethreading beads, while an image of the beaded mask was created via digital imaging. The rationale was to give points of reference to otherwise abstract and easily misunderstood artifacts. Issues of interpretation and representation are discussed, as it is considered that the resulting reconstructions are acknowledged variants based on available evidence and inevitably subjective decisions made by the conservator. It is concluded that appropriate reconstructions are those that allow for future interpretations of the artifacts in light of changing approaches and new evidence. -- SCMRE