Description:

Egypt, Late Period, ca. 700 to 330 BCE. This is a small banded alabaster mortar that may contain some percentage of calcite to give it hardness -- pure alabaster, fine-grained cohesive variety of gypsum, can be scratched with a fingernail. The transparency of this mortar is beautiful, especially around the rim -- a glowing light shines through the upper bands. In Ancient Egypt, mortars and pestles were used for a variety of methods, including dehusking hulled wheat, making pastes for construction, and grinding ingredients for pharmaceuticals. A small one like this was probably used for pharmaceuticals or grinding pigments for makeup. Small mortars have been found commonly in the domestic housing at workmen's villages excavated at Deir el-Medina and Amarna. Size: 2-1/4" x 3-3/4" diameter.

Provenance: Ex-Harlan J. Berk Gallery, Chicago, IL.

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

110314

  • Condition: Age-related wear, otherwise intact/excellent!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Auction House will ship, at Buyer's expense

October 22, 2015 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of up to 22% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

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