For the Egyptians, alabaster was something magical. Properly known by geologists as banded travertine or calcite, as opposed to the gypsum alabaster of modern times, Egyptian alabaster was prized for its ability to transmit light. When held up to the sun, the stone seems to glow a vibrant gold, which assimilated it in the Egyptian mind to the journey of the sun-god Ra through the underworld. It was highly appropriate, then, for sepulchral goods, interred in tombs with their owners. The interment of goods in the tomb had a serious purpose: for the Egyptians, the soul (akh) was a multipartite conception, which existed in parallel with the body (khaw, a plural word meaning ‘the sum of the bodily parts’). The funerary texts reference eight elements to the soul: kht (physical body), sah (spiritual body), rn (the spoken name, identity), ba (personality, individuality), ka (‘double’, the vital essence), ib (the heart, seat of knowledge and emotion), shut (the shadow), and skhm (the ‘power’). These elements existed in an interconnected way, and all eight were necessary in some way to enter the afterlife. This is the reason that Egyptians expended so much effort on preserving the kht, the physical remains, through mummification.

Two of these elements, the ka and the ba, were believed to leave the body and become corporeal after death. As a result, both elements, but the ka especially, required sustenance in the afterlife. For the Egyptians, however, life was not about mere bread and water. Sustenance of the ka meant access to all the good things that it might have enjoyed in life, which included cosmetics, unguents, oils and perfumes. Indeed, an Egyptian would have considered all four of these luxuries as deadly serious life necessities. Cosmetics, for example, were not merely for appearances. The application of the eyeliner kohl, a compound of lead or antimony sulphide, was considered a practical medical solution to the problems of living on the desert fringes. There, grit and sand were blown in from the Sahara or the Eastern Desert, while remaining close enough to the river to be plagued with insects. Both caused significant ophthalmological problems – indeed, a whole genre of Egyptian medical text was solely focused on treatments of the eyes – which could be relieved or presented with the application of kohl. The presence of these cosmetic and unguent vessels in the tomb accounts for their high degree of preservation.

This remarkable cosmetic bowl is of a type known originally by Petrie as ‘squat vases’ (Petrie, W. M. F. (1937) The Funeral Furniture of Egypt, with Stone and Metal Vases. London. No. 485), but are known by more modern archaeologists as Class VII bowls. Characteristic especially of the Old Kingdom, these bowls remained in use throughout Egyptian history, in a variety of materials. The classic Class VII bowl, however, was carved from stone. Many Class VII bowls have lug handles applied to either side (cf. el-Khouli, A. (1978) Egyptian Stone Vessels: Predynastic to Dynasty III.. Mainz.), but others – as in this example – do not. Gracefully proportioned, this round alabaster bowl curves dramatically to a rounded shoulder, and an out-turned rim, which supports a small lid. The vessel is carved from high-quality banded alabaster, with a subtle colour palette interrupted by a violent orange streak across the lid. The artist has skilfully exploited the natural veins of the stone; it is likely he chose this specific stone with these aesthetics in mind. The lid is carefully crafted to fit exactly in the aperture at the top of the vessel. Re. 175001.