Ointment Jar of Sithathoryunet

Ointment Jar of Sithathoryunet

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Used by both men and women, cosmetics were an important part of ancient Egyptian beautification and the hoped-for rejuvenation of the dead. This vessel likely contained a salve or ointment for the skin. Although vessels of this shape were common during the Middle Kingdom, the use of obsidian rimmed with gold identifies them as royal possessions. They were apparently originally housed in a small box.

Egyptian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Ointment Jar of SithathoryunetOintment Jar of SithathoryunetOintment Jar of SithathoryunetOintment Jar of SithathoryunetOintment Jar of Sithathoryunet

The Met collection of ancient Egyptian art consists of approximately 30,000 objects of artistic, historical, and cultural importance, dating from about 300,000 BCE to the 4th century CE. A signifcant percentage of the collection is derived from the Museum's three decades of archaeological work in Egypt, initiated in 1906 in response to increasing interest in the culture of ancient Egypt.