Ointment jar with lid
Description
Travertine (Egyptian alabaster)
AI image analysis claude-haiku-4-5
Machine-generated from the object's image on May 2026. Not curatorial; treat deities, names, and signs below as the model's best reading, not authority.
A travertine (Egyptian alabaster) vessel with a flared mouth and narrow waist, characteristic of Middle Kingdom ointment jars or cosmetic containers.
This is a well-preserved example of an Egyptian travertine ointment jar with classic Middle Kingdom proportions. The vessel features a gently flared rim, a cylindrical body that narrows at the waist, and a splayed pedestal base. The alabaster displays natural banding and striations in cream and golden-yellow tones, which are characteristic of Egyptian travertine. The surface shows a high polish consistent with ceremonial or household cosmetic containers. The form and dimensions are consistent with vessels used for storing precious ointments, unguents, or other valuable substances. The overall craftsmanship is refined, suggesting this was a quality piece for an elite or affluent household.
Cross-references (4)
- Wikidata-Q Q116252167 tier-1
- Collection-QID Q160236 tier-2 (wikidata-mediated)
- Inventory-Number 26.7.1439a, b tier-2 (wikidata-mediated)
- MET-Object 543969 tier-2 (wikidata-mediated)
About this record's data
- From the source institution — accession, description, dimensions, and dating are as catalogued by Metropolitan Museum of Art — Egyptian Art (Open Access).
- AI-inferred — the image-analysis panel (deities, names, signs) is machine-generated and may be wrong.
- Approximate location — most map points are plotted at the site centroid, not the exact findspot.
- Inferred links — cross-references marked with a match method other than explicit-source-field were matched by us, not stated by the source.