Pair Of Egyptian Faience Perfume Bottles

$1,029.92

Incredibly rare pair of miniature blue-green glazed faience cosmetic vessel, each one featuring a globular body with a narrow neck, small attached handle and flared rim. Each vessel features a unique carved face, with one depicting the face of Bes, and the other the Wedjat Eye. Both have an undecorated reverse. Items such as these were most likely tomb gifts and would have held perfume for the deceased for their own personal use in the afterlife.

Date: Circa 715-332 BC
Period: Late Dynastic Period
Condition: Very fine, some earthly encrustations remain on the surface.

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Bes was a dwarf Egyptian deity, who acted as protector of the household, particularly of women, children, and childbirth. Dwarfs enjoyed elevated social status in Ancient Egypt, as they were considered to have been celestially blessed. Bes was also associated with sexuality, humour, music, and dancing, and was immensely popular with the people of everyday Egypt. The frequent occurrence of his image throughout the later Dynastic Period is testament to this popularity: during this time, he was seen as the protector of all things good, and as the destroyer of evil. There is evidence of people dressing as Bes in the ancient world, and of girls getting tattoos of the deity on their thighs.

Horus was one of the most significant Ancient Egyptian deities. He is most commonly depicted with the head of a falcon, and the body of a man. Horus was a sun and moon deity, and it was said that his right eye was the sun, and the left was the moon. The eye of Horus, also known as ‘Wedjat’, was an ancient symbol of protection, particularly for the afterlife, and was also used to deflect evil. For this reason it was often worn or hung on the deceased at burial. It was highly influential in Egyptian life, with ancient sailors painting the image on the bow of their vessels to ward off evil.

To find out more about Ancient Egyptian amulets please see our relevant blog post: Egyptian Amulets and their Meanings: Ancient Egyptian Gods.

Weight 23 g
Dimensions H 4 cm
Egyptian Mythology

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Faience

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