Cosmetic Vessel (Beaker)
c. 1859–1814 BCE
- Medium
- obsidian and gold
- Classification
- Vessels
- Dimensions
- Diameter: 4.2 cm (1 5/8 in.); Overall: 4.9 cm (1 15/16 in.); Diameter of base: 2.6 cm (1 in.)
- Culture
- Egypt, Middle Kingdom (2040–1648 BCE), Dynasty 12, reign of Amenemhat III (1860–1814 BCE)
- Museum
- Cleveland Museum of Art, Egyptian and Ancient Near Eastern Art
- Credit line
- Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund
- Rights
- Public domain (CC0), as the museum states it.
- Who can see it
- Teens profiles and older: its museum says too little about what it shows to place it for younger viewers. How works are placed
View at the Cleveland Museum of Art
About this work
Both ancient Egyptian men and women loved cosmetics. Unguents, oils, and perfumes made from aromatic plant resins and gums were obtained at great cost from distant lands. The objects identified with cosmetics were given lavish treatment. This luxurious obsidian and gold beaker hints at the precious contents it once held.
