Cleveland Museum of Art

Alabastron (stopper)

Date

305–222 BCE

Medium

travertine

Culture

Egypt, Greco-Roman period (332 BCE–395 CE), Ptolemaic dynasty (305–30 BCE)

Department

Egyptian and Ancient Near Eastern Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Both ancient Egyptian men and women loved cosmetics. Unguents, oils, and perfumes made from aromatic plant resins and gums were obtained at great cost from distant lands. The objects identified with cosmetics were given lavish treatment. This is the lid to a perfume holder which might have been attached to a string, making it easily portable.

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