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Egyptian Antiquities :
Middle Kingdom : Middle Kingdom Alabaster Jar
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Middle Kingdom Alabaster Jar - CK.0194
Origin: Egypt
Circa: 2200
BC
to 1800
BC
Dimensions:
1.75" (4.4cm) high
x 1.675" (4.3cm) wide
Collection: Egyptian Antiquities
Medium: Alabaster
$3,000.00
Location: United States
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| Description |
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Alabaster is a fine-grained, massive, translucent
variety of gypsum, a hydrous calcium sulphate.
Alabaster occurs naturally in many shades of
color, from pure white to reddish-tan. Like all
other forms of gypsum, alabaster forms by the
evaporation of bedded deposits that are
precipitated mainly from evaporating seawater.
Indigenous to Egypt, alabaster has been quarried
for more than seven thousand years from a
source just a few miles behind the Valley of the
Kings in ancient Thebes. This stone was prized
by the pharaohs for its luminous properties.
When held up to the light, the stone absorbs the
glow and spreads it evenly throughout its
structure, becoming almost translucent if carved
thinly enough. The Ancient Egyptians used this
wonderful material for many purposes, including
household items, ritual objects, and for a number
of different funerary uses such as sarcophagi and
canopic jars.
Egyptian alabaster vessels were owned by the
wealthy, served as royal paraphernalia for ritual
libations and for the storage of oils, ointment,
cosmetics and other costly substances. The
small size of this vessel suggests that it once
held expensive and precious materials befitting
such a luxurious container.
- (CK.0194)
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