Near Eastern Veined Alabaster Vessel

£ 425.00

A fine Near Eastern alabaster vessel. It is simple in form, with gently sloping walls that lead to a smooth flat rim. The vessel sits on a flat, circular base which is wider than its mouth, with its sides curving in close to the base. The thin walls of the vessel have been skilfully carved by the artisan to increase the capacity. The alabaster has an almost translucent quality to it and is cream in colour with striking veins of orange and patches of white in various hues running throughout the piece.

Date: Circa 3rd Millennium BC
Provenance: From a private collection, London & Geneva, pre-1988.
Condition: Excellent condition and of a fine quality. A slight chip to the rim. Some earthly encrustations to the interior and exterior.
SKU: NES-191 Categories: ,

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 peoples 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.

Weight 446.9 g
Dimensions W 8.3 x H 12.4 cm
Region

Near East (Western Asiatic)

Stone

Alabaster

Reference: For a similar vessel, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, item 62.70.18

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