Collection Online as of June 2, 2023

Alabastron (stopper)

Egypt, early Ptolemaic Dynasty

Travertine

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.)

John L. Severance Fund 1995.262.b

Location

107 Egyptian

Fun Fact

This is the lid to a perfume holder which 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.

Citations

Berman, Lawrence M., and Kenneth J. Bohač. Catalogue of Egyptian Art: The Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1999. Reproduced and Mentioned: p. 486, cat. no. 382