This alabaster jar is well over 4000 years old, dating to the reign of Pepi II at the end of the Old Kingdom. It’s about 5½ inches tall, and presumably once held some sort of unguent or ointment or other cosmetic. It no longer has a lid, but probably did when new.
It’s a beautiful piece of work, I am always a fan of these sorts of vessels with the juxtaposition between the creamy alabaster and the neatly incised and coloured text. And although it’s showing signs of its age, you can still imagine how lovely it would’ve been when brand new.
The text gives us two of the names of the king – on the left his Horus name in its serekh (Netjerikhau), and on the right his throne name in a cartouche (Neferkare). Below the names “given life like Re” runs in both directions sharing an initial hieroglyph.
The rulers of Egypt appear to’ve shared my liking for these sorts of pieces – for instance a thousand years later Tutankhamun was buried with many alabaster vessels, several labelled with his names. They probably took them rather more for granted as a piece of everyday life!
This jar is now in the Met Museum, acc. no. 12.182.17
See this on my photo site: https://photos.talesfromthetwolands.org/picture.php?/1329/
I’ve talked about the naming of kings on the blog before: https://talesfromthetwolands.org/2019/08/11/the-naming-of-kings/
And about Pepi II: https://talesfromthetwolands.org/2020/05/11/pepi-ii/
Jigsaw Puzzles:
easier: https://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=3cc89e1b1a4e
harder: https://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=1cb4b3f8b5dc
Tales from the Two Lands 