Alabaster alabastron (perfume vase)
Unknown Artist
6th–5th century BCE
Medium
Calcite (alabaster)
Dimensions
H. 6 7/8 ; Diam. 2 7/8 in. (17.5 x 7.3 cm)
Classification
Miscellaneous-Stone Vases
Culture & Period
Cypriot · Archaic or Classical
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Cesnola Collection, Purchased by subscription, 1874–76
Accession Number
74.51.5086
Art Historical Context
This delicate alabaster alabastron, or perfume vase, hails from ancient Cyprus during the Archaic or Classical (6th–5th century BCE). Standing just under 7 inches tall with a diameter of nearly 3 inches, it exemplifies the refined stone vessels crafted by Cypriot artisans, blending influences from Greek, Phoenician, and Near Eastern traditions. As part of the Miscellaneous-Stone Vases classification the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Greek and Roman Art Department it reflects Cyprus's role as a vibrant cultural crossroads in the eastern Mediterranean. Carved from smooth calcite—commonly known a...