Used for storing kohl (eye paint), this elegant squat jar of creamy alabaster has smooth convex sides that swell upward from a small, footed base into a high shoulder leading to a wide, angled rim that is detachable. 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. For 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: Intact and in very good condition overall with very minor chip to rim that does not detract. A most charming example.
Dimensions: Height: 4.5cm (1 3/4in);
Provenance: Private Pennsylvania collection
