This is the rating and price for Rare / Early Egyptian Banded Alabaster Offering Dish

Description : Ancient Egypt, Old Kingdom, 3rd to 6th Dynasty, ca. 2686 to 2181 BCE. A hand-carved banded alabaster bowl with a thick circular base, gradually-expanding walls, a rounded rim, and a shallow basin with a recessed central cavity. Scattered areas around the rim are lightly charred, seemingly from being placed near or into a fire, though much of the interior and exterior surfaces are uncharred. When held close to a bright light, the intricate darker banding is illuminated against the glowing stone. Bowls like this example were typically filled with offerings and left at an altar as a gift to the gods, or they were placed inside tombs as offerings to aid the deceased in their journey through the afterlife. Size: 6.875 W x 2.125 H (17.5 cm x 5.4 cm). Alabaster was quarried along the length of the Nile, from Giza to just south of Luxor. Offering bowls like these were used in temples and placed in the tombs of people at all class levels. For example, Auguste Mariette, the famous French Egyptologist of the 19th century, found a cemetery for the poor in Memphis where the dead had been buried without wrappings only three feet below the ground, however, each had a small alabaster bowl and some animal bones, as they had been given food and drink for the afterlife. Meanwhile, kings were buried with many vessels, often of the highest quality. These vessels were necessary to provide for the dead during their time in the underworld. Provenance: ex-private Los Angeles, California, USA collection All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #139722
Price: 1 245.00 USD It's free to register now to view!
Estimate (low-high) : 1000 USD-1500.0 USD It's free to register now to view!

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