Alabastron vessel featuring an elongated
'drop-shaped' body tapering upwards into a
barely suggested shoulder and a contracted
neck terminating into a heavily rimmed lip.
Its vestigial lug handles placed just below
the shoulder.
A soothing, rhythmic motion in the grain of
this alabastron grants it an undecorated
simplicity that is extremely calming and
aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. Dark
flowing bands highlight softer creamy waves
that form a harmonious natural horizontal
pattern in the stone. The alabastron's
carving has been perfected to a high degree
revealing an unsurpassed natural beauty
and technical excellence. despite its size and
girth, the vessel has a delicacy that is
brought about by the refined articulation of
its profile. The dramatic tones and surface
patterning enliven the vessel's surface to
create a unique work of art.
Alabaster jars with these distinctive lug
handles and underlying triangular
ornamentation are linked to Egypt's 27th
dynasty. This assigns our vessel to a
comparative date of the 5th century BC.
During this time Egypt was controlled by the
Persians. Xerxes the Great was the
Achaemenid king and third ruler of the 27th
dynasty. In 525 BC, Egypt fell under the
yoke of Persia and would have been
governed by Persian Kings for about 200
years. A wealth of information has been
passed down, especially by Herodotus on this
particular period; Xerxes was famous for his
battles against the Greeks at the
Thermopylae and Salamis. Again according
to Herodotus, his rule over Egypt was rather
harsh, nevertheless traditional forms with
some stylistic changes were still created for
the upper classes and official purposes.
Egyptian alabaster vessels were owned by
the wealthy, served as royal paraphernalia
for ritual libations and for the storage of oils,
ointment, cosmetics and other costly
substances. The interior of our alabastron is
far smaller than its exterior would lead us to
believe; possibly it contained expensive and
precious materials, protected by its thick
wall.
A comparable example datable to the 6th
century BC, even if not as substantial in
size, is in the permanent colletion of the
National Museum in Kassel, Germany. See
Felgenhauer, A, Agyptische und
Agyptisierende Kunstwerk, Staatliche
Museen Kassel, 1996: no.12-14.
For further information on alabastrons see
Aston, B. Ancient Egyptian Stone Vessels:
Materials and Forms, Heidelberg, 1994; and
Lyliquist, C. Egyptian Stone Vessels: Khian
through Tuthmosis IV, New York, 1995.
