Egypt, Late Period, 26th to 31st Dynasty, ca. 672 to 332 BCE. A beautiful cup, of conical form, with a flat foot, carved from a gorgeous piece of alabaster. The skill of the artist is demonstrated by how thin the walls are. This allows the stone to glow with a butter-like color when held to the light. Bands of a whiter color are visible throughout the walls of the cup. Size: 3" W x 3.55" H (7.6 cm x 9 cm)

Alabaster was quarried along the length of the Nile, from Giza to just south of Luxor. Offering vessels were used in temples and placed in the tombs of people at all class levels. For example, Auguste Mariette, the famous French Egyptologist of the 19th century, found a cemetery for the poor in Memphis where the dead had been buried without wrappings only three feet below the ground - but each had a small alabaster bowl and some animal bones, as they had been given food and drink for the afterlife. Meanwhile, kings were buried with many vessels, often of the highest quality. These vessels were necessary to provision the dead during their time in the underworld.

Provenance: private Houston, Texas, USA collection; ex Gerhard Hirsch Nachfolger Auction 277-278, Munich, Germany, part of lot 592

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#132860

Small chip from rim. Light patina on surface from age and handling.