Kohl jar
Description
Anhydrite
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 small cosmetic vessel in white stone with a removable lid, featuring two small tubular handles on opposite sides of the globular body.
This artifact is a kohl jar executed in fine anhydrite or alabaster, characteristic of Middle Kingdom cosmetic vessels. The form consists of a squat, rounded body with a broad, flat shoulder zone, equipped with two small tubular handles positioned symmetrically on the sides. The separate flat, circular lid sits atop the wide mouth opening. The surface shows the characteristic white-to-cream coloring of anhydrite with subtle ochre-colored staining visible on the lid rim and scattered across the body surface, consistent with age, burial conditions, and residual cosmetic material. The workmanship is refined with smooth, polished surfaces typical of Middle Kingdom decorative and functional vessels. The simple, functional form with minimal ornamental features and the sophisticated material choice are hallmarks of elite Middle Kingdom cosmetic containers.
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.