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Egyptian
Middle Kingdom
Dynasty XII, 1800 B.C.
Cylindrical cosmetic vessel
Limestone
Height: 8.9 cm
(stock no 7727)
Middle Kingdom cosmetic vessels are rare, especially in this vase form. The earliest ‘aids’ used for cosmetics are Old Kingdom palettes which date to 2600 BC; these took the form of animals, often in the shape of fish. Palettes are rarely seen in the Middle Kingdom, unguent jars and vessels being more common.
The daily life of the Egyptian nobels was governed by ceremony and presentation. This vessel would have been used to hold ground up colours for the cosmetics of a wealthy Egyptian woman.
