An Egyptian Lidded Cosmetic Jar, Middle Kingdom, ca. 2030-1640 BC

Used for storing kohl (eye paint), this elegant squat jar of creamy pink breccia has smooth convex sides that swell upward from a small, footed base into a high shoulder leading to a two piece wide, angled rim that detaches. As is common with this type of vessel, drilling of the interior is narrow and does not conform to the shape of the body.  Egyptians used kohl extensively, both to emphasize and protect their eyes. The wide rim of this small pot meant that small crumbs of this precious product, from distant Arabian mines by the Red Sea, were not wasted.

Dimensions: Height: 2 3/8 inches (6 cm)

Condition: Some light scattered surface deposits. Some ancient loss to the foot and lid rim and a tight hairline in one side, otherwise intact, exc. cond. A rare example.

Provenance: J.H.H. Claessen private collection, Bladel, Holland, assembled prior to 1975 then by descent.