Ointment Jar with Lid

Description

The perfume and scented ointments that both men and women in ancient Egypt wore were also important in religious and funerary rites. This vessel typifies the classic form of ointment jar– with a flaring top and flat disk lid- that was used for over 3,000 years in Egypt.

Provenance

Reverend Chauncey Murch (1859-1907), Luxor, Egypt; sold to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1894; price reimbursed by Henry H. Getty and Charles L. Hutchinson, 1894.

Ointment Jar with Lid

Ancient Egyptian

Middle Kingdom, Dynasty 12 (about 1985-1773 BCE)

Accession Number

135186

Medium

Anhydrite

Dimensions

5.7 × 4.5 × 4.4 cm (2 1/4 × 1 13/16 × 1 3/4 in.)

Classification

personal grooming / hygiene / cosmetic container

Museum

The Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, United States

Credit Line

Gift of Henry H. Getty and Charles L. Hutchinson