An Egyptian Lidded Cosmetic Vessel, Middle Kingdom, ca. 2040 - 1783 BCE

A beautiful squat jar of creamy alabaster with smooth convex sides that swell upward from a small, footed base into a high shoulder leading to a 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. A flat alabaster lid with a centered protruding piece to sit in the mouth accompanies the jar.Vessels like these were used for storing kohl, or eye paint. 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. For a similar example see: Petrie "Stone and Metal Vases" (1917) plate XXX #733, and p. 142-144 in Bourriau, Pharaohs and Mortals, Egyptian Art in the Middle Kingdom.Condition:  Substantial remains of original product and sealing wax around the inner lid and rim, the vessel is intact and in very good condition overall.Dimensions: