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Cosmetic Jar in the Form of the God Bes

664–525 BCE
Egyptian blue
Overall: 9.3 x 6.1 x 4.1 cm (3 11/16 x 2 3/8 x 1 5/8 in.)
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1995.13
Location: 107 Egyptian
Public Domain
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Did You Know?

Bes was the Egyptian god of many things, including cosmetics, war, and childbirth.

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. The god Bes, patron god of cosmetics, is the subject of this colorful jar.
A small, light blue jar in the shape of a seated figure with a tail and wearing a light reddish-brown belt. The figure has a beard and wears the skin of a leopard, painted in light yellow, draped over his back, with the leopard's head in front of his neck. The figure also wears a short rectangular headdress that serves as the opening for the jar.

Cosmetic Jar in the Form of the God Bes

664–525 BCE

Egypt, Late period (715–332 BCE), Dynasty 26

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