Ancient Egyptian Alabaster Macehead

£ 300.00

A fine Ancient Egyptian ceremonial macehead carved from alabaster. The mace head has a tapered shape, with a convex top and conical body. A channel runs through the length of the stone, with circular openings at either end in which a shaft would have been place. The alabaster is cream in colour with natural bands and striations of white and beige in various hues running throughout the piece. The top of the macehead has been flattened on one side, either due to damage or to the stone wearing down. This piece comes with a custom-made stand.

The measurements listed below are for the macehead without the stand.

Date: 2686 - 2181 BC
Period: Old Kingdom Period
Provenance: From a private collection, London & Geneva, pre-1988.
Condition: Fine condition. The top of the macehead has previously been damaged or worn down in antiquity to the point that one side appears flat and smoother then the rest. Some areas of surface pitting. Minor chips to the channel openings.
SKU: ES-209 Categories: , Tag:

The alabaster used by ancient civilisations in the Near East, including Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilisations, is often referred to as ‘oriental alabaster’, and is a type of calcite. Due to its easy carving characteristic and resemblance to marble, many ancient people used alabaster for decoration. Although alabaster’s soft and slightly porous stone made it easy to carve, the upshot was that it would not survive for significant periods of time when exposed to the natural elements. The name “alabaster” is thought to have derived from the Ancient Egyptian, ‘a-labaste‘, which refers to the vessels of the goddess, Bast. She is usually depicted as a lioness, her figure often sitting atop alabaster vessels.

Old Kingdom Egypt did not boast a professional military, so weapons, such as this mace head, would have been brandished by members of a volunteer army. Although bow and arrows were the most common choice, Egyptian weaponry was varied, and included swords, knives and spears. Maceheads were made of stone or wood, and (in addition to the soldiers of volunteer armies) they were a favourite weapon of Egyptian kings. This is evident from numerous surviving reliefs, which depict the nation’s ruler smiting his enemies with a mace.

 

Weight 296.4 g
Dimensions W 5.5 x H 6.8 cm
Region

North Africa

Stone

Alabaster

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