EGYPTIAN ANCIENT TRAVERTINE ALABASTER JAR. Carved and polished alabaster Egyptian vase. Translucent piece used to adorn tombs and hold precious oils, perfumes, ointments, and kohl (cosmetics). They were frequently placed in tombs as part of the deceased's burial equipment for use in the afterlife and were also part of daily life for the elite.
PROVENANCE: By descent from the estate of the current owner's parents who acquired it in 1958 while working in Egypt; it was bought through a licensed dealer in Giza, a suburb of Cairo. According to the dealer, the jar was found in a minor tomb near the Giza Pyramids or on the Giza Plateau near Cairo. - Height: 10.25 inches; opening is 2.5 inches. Estimate $2,500-3,500