Ancient Egyptian Alabaster Vase

Ancient Egyptian Bullet-Form Alabaster Vase Third Intermediate Period, circa 945–715 BCE This monumental Egyptian alabaster vase is the largest known example of its type. It is a rare vessel perfected by Egyptian craftsmen during the Third Intermediate Period, circa 945–715 BCE and among the most coveted objects of the ancient world. The vase's elongated, bullet-shaped form rises with commanding proportion, its surface luminous and translucent, swirling with warm honey and cream tones veined with white mineral striations. The narrow mouth and tapering body exemplify the refined control of Egyptian craftsmen, who favored alabaster above other materials for its translucency and prestige—a clear signal that this vessel was created for someone, or a ceremony, of exceptional standing. Its near-perfect condition, after nearly 3,000 years, is nothing short of extraordinary. According to Professor Olivier Perdu at the Collège de France, a leading specialist in Egypt's Third Intermediate Period, vessels of this type held wine for ceremonies appeasing the Eye of Re, the fearsome Egyptian solar god. Beyond Egypt's borders, they were coveted across the ancient world—Phoenician elites used them as funerary urns, Assyrian kings repurposed them for precious oil and Roman aristocrats incorporated them into burial rites. Even Publius Claudius Pulcher, born into one of Rome's most prominent republican families, was interred with one, though his example measured only 26 inches. Standing over 27" high, it surpasses every recorded parallel, including the vase of Osorkon I from the royal necropolis at Tanis (23 1/2" high) and a celebrated example in the Louvre (6 1/2" high). The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds only a fragment. Intact examples of this scale are extraordinarily rare outside museum collections. With base: 27 1/2" high x 15" diameter Provenance: Private collection, UK, acquired 1950s Private collection Private collection, Paris M.S. Rau, New Orleans