Artwork Page for Alabastron

Details / Information for Alabastron

Alabastron

305–222 BCE

Egypt, Greco-Roman period (332 BCE–395 CE), Ptolemaic dynasty

(305–30 BCE)
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Medium
travertine
Measurements
Diameter: 3.3 cm (1 5/16 in.); Overall: 22.9 cm (9 in.); Stopper: 4.5 cm (1 3/4 in.); Body: 19.1 x 2.5 cm (7 1/2 x 1 in.)
Credit Line
John L. Severance Fund 1995.262.a
Public Domain
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Location
107 Egyptian
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Did You Know?

This perfume holder might have been attached to a string, making it easily portable.

Description

Both ancient Egyptian men and women loved cosmetics. Unguents, oils, and perfumes made from aromatic plant resins and gums were obtained at great cost from distant lands. The objects identified with cosmetics were given lavish treatment.
A slender, cream-colored travertine vessel tapers from a rounded base toward a narrow neck, resembling a streamlined pillar. Its smooth surface displays horizontal bands of tan and light gray stone. Near the top, two small, pointed tabs protrude horizontally below a flat, circular rim. Standing vertically, the polished stone highlights subtle natural striations, casting a soft shadow to the right on the neutral gray surface.

Alabastron

305–222 BCE

Egypt, Greco-Roman period (332 BCE–395 CE), Ptolemaic dynasty (305–30 BCE)

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