Alabastron (305–222 BCE): Art, History and Details

Alabastron (305–222 BCE) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

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.

Object facts

• Title: Alabastron
• Date: 305–222 BCE
• Culture: Egypt, Greco-Roman period (332 BCE–395 CE), Ptolemaic dynasty (305–30 BCE)
• Type: Vessels
• Technique: travertine
• Dimensions: Diameter: 3.3 cm (1 5/16 in.); Overall: 22.9 cm (9 in.); Stopper: 4.5 cm (1 3/4 in.); Body: 19.1 x 2.5 cm (7 1/2 x 1 in.)
• Collection: Egypt - Ptolemaic Dynasty
• Department: Egyptian and Ancient Near Eastern Art
• Accession number: 1995.262.a

A detail from the museum

This perfume holder might have been attached to a string, making it easily portable.

Collection credit

John L. Severance Fund

Further reading listed by the museum

• Berman, Lawrence M., and Kenneth J. Bohač. Catalogue of Egyptian Art: The Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1999.

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.