For the Egyptians, cosmetics and oils were no luxury. In the hot and humid environment of the desert fringes, where the hot sands met the lush green of the Nile Valley, the environment was hardly healthful. The desert brought with it sand and grit, which hang in the air and interfere with breathing and seeing. Meanwhile, as one got closer to the river, insects became a serious problem. As vectors of disease in these humid environments, mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti) and other insects were more than a mere nuisance. These conditions were especially harsh on the eyes, and in order to protect themselves from these difficulties, the Egyptians relied on an imaginative array of cures listed in great papyrus treatises. But the most popular solution was a preventative one: kohl. An eyeliner made from a powdered compound of lead or antimony sulphide, the Egyptians thought kohl would prevent insects from entering the eye, protect the eyes from the harsh rays of the sun, and even guard against sand and grit. Of course, since lead and antimony are both toxic to humans, the solution probably caused more problems than it solved. Additionally, oils and unguents were extremely popular, vital for keeping skin supple in the heat of the Egyptian sun. usually scented with myrrh, frankincense, cinnamon, or other herbs and spices, oils were thought to keep insects from landing on the body, and from biting when they did. Both cosmetics and unguents were also spiritually significant. The gods were anointed with both daily, and self-anointing was a pre-requisite of entry into the temples.

The importance of both unguents and cosmetics resulted in a dazzling variety of stone cosmetic vases and unguentaria. Often, these vessels were miniature versions of the kinds of vases and vessels used in daily life. Whereas the vessels used for cooking, and for the storage of oil and wine, were usually fashioned from pottery, the cosmetic vessels and unguentaria which come down to us are almost exclusively made from stone, reflecting both the value and significance of unguents and cosmetics, but also the fact that most of these vessels come to us from tomb contexts. In the Egyptian worldview, the soul (ka) needed all the things it needed in life after the physical life-force was extinguished. This did not only mean food and water; for the Egyptians, pleasure was a gift of the gods. As a result, individuals were interred with the finest things they could afford, among them large quantities of unguents and cosmetics. Stone vessels were included in tombs to represent the desire to provide for the ka in perpetuity. Of course, stone was more durable than the pottery of everyday life. The favoured stone for these little vessels was what Egyptologists call alabaster, but what geologists call banded travertine. For the Egyptians, alabaster was thought of as a magical material, since it transmits light, seeming to glow with its own energy when held up to the sun.

This elegant vessel is of a type well-known from the Eighteenth Dynasty of the New Kingdom (1550 BC – 1292 BC). Listed by the legendary archaeologist William Matthew Flinders Petrie as his type 849 (Petrie, W. M. F. (1937) The Funeral Furniture of Egypt, with Stone and Metal Vases. London.), this kind of carinated vase is especially associated with the earlier part of this Dynasty, around the reign of Thutmose II. The vase rises from a small circular foot, through a bulbous belly, to a nearly vertical, slightly flared neck, and a rolled over rim. This form of vase, commonly called a thistle vase for its resemblance to that plant, but more probably was designed with the daily opening of the Egyptian lotus (Nymphaea lotus), a powerful symbol of rebirth, as well as being a reference to one of Egypt’s most popular and distinctive scents. A beautifully carved vessel of lightly-dappled calcite, the walls are exceptionally thin. Despite a slight modern repair to the rim, and a chip to the foot, this vessel is in remarkable condition, probably indicating that it was preserved in a tomb context. It is possible that this vessel was once stopped with a plug of mud or a wad of linen, or else had a small disc-shaped lid, to prevent the evaporation of the unguent inside.

References: vessels of this type can be found in collections in Oxford (Ashmolean Museum AN189.815, AN.1890.802, AN1890.805), Liverpool (World Museum 1977.112.128), New York (Metropolitan Museum of Art 16.10.421, 35.3.23, 36.3.61, 35.3.21, 35.3.25; Brooklyn Museum 37.395E), Boston (Museum of Fine Arts RES.22.236), This vessel corresponds to Petrie, W. M. F. (1937) The Funeral Furniture of Egypt, with Stone and Metal Vases. London. No. 849.