Egyptian alabaster vessel

Old Kingdom, 6th Dynasty, 2311 - 2140 BC

Height: 8.7 cm

The slender vessel with flat base, flares slightly towards the flattened, everted rim. A small copper stain on the surface of the stone. The small scale of this elegant vessel would suggest it was used for cosmetics or perfumed oils. Condition: Intact. Small hairline crack running vertically underneath rim

Literature: For the type, compare W. M. Flinders Petrie, The Funeral Furniture of Egypt. Stone and Metal Vases, Warminster, 1971, pl. XI, no. 99.

Provenance: Private collection (G.G.), UK

£8,500