Egyptian Serpentine Vessel

Name: Egyptian Serpentine Vessel
SKU: CF-103
Availability: OutOfStock

£ 200.00

An ancient Egyptian serpentine vessel, dating to the Old Kingdom Period. The vessel sits on a flat base, from which its short, convex walls curve upwards towards a wide rounded mouth, forming a shallow bowl. The pale stone presents with a variety of hues, including cream, white, and grey, and is speckled with black circular spots throughout.

Date: Circa 2686 - 2613 BC
Period: Old Kingdom Period, 3rd Dynasty
Provenance: Prince collection, 1990s-2014, acquired in 2008 from a UK private collection, formed in the 1970s to 1990s. Reviewed by Simone Musso, consultant curator for Egyptian antiquities at the Stibbert Museum, Florence, Italy, member of the Nuri Archaeological Expedition.
Condition: Fine condition. Signs of wear as consistent with its age, such as chips to the rim and surface. A long crack through the centre of the vessel. A small, white, rectangular sticker on the base of the vessel.

SOLD

SKU: CF-103 Category: Other Ancient Vessels

Description
Additional information

In Egypt, the earliest stone vessels discovered can be dated to the Late Neolithic Period (c. 5100-4700 BC). The Ancient Egyptian production of stone vessels was one of the most long-lived industries in the ancient Mediterranean. They were used for domestic, ritualistic, and funerary purposes, for example to hold liquids, oils, cosmetics, or as canopic jars. These stone vessels were made from a variety of stones, both hard and soft, in numerous shapes. Hardstone vessels were considered luxury items and status objects, used by the elite. Serpentine, in particular, was used to make statues, amulets, scarabs, vessels such as vases and cosmetic containers, jewellery, and game pieces. It was a favoured stone in the early history of stone vessel production in Egypt, but its popularity and use declined by the New Kingdom Period.