Ointment Vessel
Ancient Egyptian · New Kingdom, Dynasty 18 (about 1550-1295 BCE) · Art Institute of Chicago
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From the museum
Perfumes and fragrant ointments for soothing the skin were an important part of beauty routines in Egypt’s hot, dry climate. Like the sometimes costly cosmetics they were designed to contain, these elegant vessels were desirable luxury goods, made in varied forms from an array of materials. The shallow bowl here was used for scented ointments and is embellished with a pomegranate-shaped handle. Regarded as a fertility symbol because of its numerous seeds, the pomegranate became a popular decorative motif in ancient Egyptian jewelry and other objects associated with beauty.
The museum’s own description, in English. Licence: CC BY 4.0
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Details
- Maker
- Egyptian
- Date
- New Kingdom, Dynasty 18 (about 1550-1295 BCE)
- Medium
- Travertine (Egyptian alabaster)
- Dimensions
- 17.1 × 11.2 × 3.1 cm (6 3/4 × 4 7/16 × 1 3/16 in.)
- Place of origin
- Egypt
- Held by
- Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · On view · Gallery 50
- Credit line
- Purchased with funds provided by Henry H. Getty and Charles L. Hutchinson
Image: Art Institute of Chicago, CC0
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