Alabastron (Container for Scented Oil)
7th century BCE/1st century CE
Medium
Alabaster
Dimensions
7 × 3.5 cm (2 3/4 × 1 3/8 in.); Diam.: 3.5 cm (1 3/8 in.)
Classification
alabastron
Department
Arts of Africa
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
136427
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Before soap was invented, scented oils were used for bathing or perfume and stored in vials like this one. This early Egyptian example was carved from alabaster, a translucent stone that is plentiful in Egypt. Through trade the Greeks obtained and then copied the shape in colored glass or clay, calling the shape an “alabastron,” after the stone used for the vessels. Because they were considered very personal belongings, alabastrons were often buried with their owners and have been found frequent...
About the Artist
Ancient Egyptian
Ancient Egyptian artists, a collective of highly skilled artisans spanning over three millennia from the Predynastic period (c. 6000–3150 BC) to the Roman era (30 BC–4th century AD), produced some of humanity's most enduring masterpieces. These anonymous craftsmen, often organized in state-sponsored workshops, lived in dedicated communities like Deir el-Medina near Luxor during the New Kingdom (c....