Description:

**First Time At Auction**

Ancient Egypt, Old Kingdom, ca. 2500 BCE. One of the classic forms of antiquity, a tall, rounded vessel with a flat base and a wide, round mouth with pronounced rim. It is carved from alabaster that is not quite opaque; however, if you hold this example to the light and you can see the bands of darker color within the stone. This type of vessel was used to hold cosmetics, as the Egyptians are famous for the cosmetics worn by both men and women, like black kohl painted around the eyes. Size: 2.5" W x 3.9" H (6.4 cm x 9.9 cm)

Alabaster, which is a form of gypsum or calcite, soft to carve and smooth, was quarried along the length of the Nile, from Giza to just south of Luxor. The Egyptians made this carved form famous throughout the ancient world. A thousand years later, the Greeks made vessels like this one out of pottery and painted them white in imitation of beautiful stone. On this example, as you examine the interior, you can see the grooves left behind from carving and smoothing it into its current form.

Provenance: Ex-Hagar Collection, St. Louis, MO

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#120005

  • Condition: Patina from handling and light encrustation in the interior. Overall excellent.

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February 27, 2017 9:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $25,000