Ancient Near Eastern Alabaster Cosmetics Dish - 3100 BC

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An ancient Near Eastern alabaster cosmetics dish, dating to around 3100 - 2900 B.C.This elegant piece is carved from a single piece of cream colored alabaster and stands upon a tiered, rectangular foot. The spherical bowl is surrounded by a squared mouth. The rim is decorated with confidently incised circles between a double line border.This artifact dates to an era during which the fog of prehistory beings to lift in the ancient Near East, and the details of history move slowly into view. We can perceive a state of almost incessant strife, when the major population center of the Tigris-Euphrates plain struggled against each other in a destructive rivalry, often ending with the ruin of entire cities and massacre of their inhabitants. Yet this piece alludes to another side of life. Graceful and refined, it would likely have been used to mix cosmetics. Sitting in the household of the wealthy elite who were at the heart of a new centralized administration regulating all aspects of the economy, from crafts to agriculture to the rationing of foodstuffs.A stylish piece from an enigmatic and formative period in human history.Width: 4 � inches.Condition: Very good, age related wear and encrustations, as shown.Provenance: Ex UK private collection, acquired in 1968. Previously with Bonhams of Knightsbridge. Authenticity All items are unconditionally read more

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