ANCIENT EGYPTIAN STEATITE KOHL JAR
EGYPT, MIDDLE KINGDOM, C. 2040 BC – 1782 BC
African & Oceanic Art, Natural History and Ancient Art
Auction: 30 July 2025 from 14:00 BST
Estimate: £800 - £1,200
Description
steatite, small kneeling female figure holding a vessel used to store kohl paint, traces of a late 19th / early 20th century label to the base
Dimensions
6.5cm long
Provenance
Private collection, Paris, France, c. 1970s - 1980s
Footnote
Around a dozen Middle Kingdom eye-paint containers of this style are known; a few are male, but most depict young female servants. Though the features are worn, the raised chest suggests that the figure is female. The wear on the pot implies that it once had a lid. All excavated examples of this type of Middle Kingdom cosmetic vessel have been found in tombs.