Egyptians

A false beard was a symbol of religious symbols and the Royal and noble in ancient Egypt.

Although beards were popular with ancient Egyptian men during the predynastic period, by the early dynastic period it had become fashionable, at least among the noble classes, to shave off all facial hair. This fashion spread to the rest of the population as time progressed. 

Despite this, certain types of beard were strongly associated with divinity . in particular a closely plaited beard was considered to be a divine attribute. For this reason, the pharaoh would wear a ceremonial false beard in certain ceremonial situations to emphasise his god-like qualities. This false beard was often made of goat's hair and was wider at the bottom than the top. 

When deceased, the pharaoh was often depicted as Osiris, and so wore the osiriform beard which was long and narrow with a curl at the end. Even non-royal men were sometimes depicted with a short form of this beard after their death.