Description:

Ancient Egypt, New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, ca. 1550 to 1292 BCE. A hand-carved alabaster jar used for holding a multi-function cosmetic substance called kohl. Exhibiting translucent, honey-yellow hues, the vessel presents with an inverted piriform body with a dramatically sloped shoulder, a discoid foot, and an overhanging disc rim with a deep, narrow cavity drilled into the center; remains of the original kohl material are still visible within. Alabaster, which is a form of gypsum or calcite, was quarried along the length of the Nile River, from Giza to just south of Luxor, and the Egyptians made its carved forms famous throughout the ancient world. A thousand years later, while less common than black-figure or red-figure techniques, the Greeks made vessels like this out of pottery and painted them with white clay pigment to imitate this beautiful stone. Size: 2.66" L x 2.65" W x 3.43" H (6.8 cm x 6.7 cm x 8.7 cm)

Cf. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 35.3.22a, b

Provenance: private West Hollywood, California, USA collection; ex-Jean-David Cahn collection, Switzerland, 1965;ex-Carl Leonhard Burckhardt collection (b.1839 -d. 1912), Basel, Switzerland

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#182378

  • Condition: Repaired in a few areas, with small chips and light adhesive residue along break lines. Abrasions and nicks commensurate with age, with light earthen deposits, otherwise in excellent condition. Great surface smoothness throughout, and nice remains of kohl material within drilled central cavity. Previous inventory label beneath base.

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December 14, 2023 8:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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