Egypt, Late Dynastic Period, 26th to 31st Dynasty, ca. 664 to 332 BCE. A splendid piriform jar, hand-carved from sandy-beige alabaster with pale peach and creamy white spotted and banded inclusions. The bulbous body rests upon a planar base, tapering to a corseted neck with a flared, broad rim, drilled round interior, and a discoid lid. The interior cavity was drilled out using progressively finer drill bits and abrasive sand, and the protruding rings denote the shallow depths to which individual layers could be bored out. A superb stone vessel with expert artistry. Alabaster, which is a form of gypsum or calcite, was quarried along the length of the Nile River, from Giza to just south of Luxor, and the Egyptians made carved alabaster forms famous throughout the ancient world. A thousand years later, while less common than black-figure or red-figure techniques, the Greeks made vessels like this out of pottery and painted them white to imitate this beautiful stone. Alabaster jars, such as this one, were used to store unguents or ointments for tomb offerings. A truly stunning example from ancient Egypt! Size: 5.25" in diameter x 6" H (13.3 cm x 15.2 cm)
Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-private prominent D.K. collection, New York, USA, acquired in the 2000s
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
Replace:
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance),
we will no longer ship Replace: most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage Replace: firm.
Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#162157
Condition
Collection label on base. A few repairs to rim and lid with paint visible. Expected abrasions and miniscule chips/nicks commensurate with age. Otherwise, excellent with lovely earthen deposits on interior.