Model Ointment Jar from a Foundation Deposit
Unknown Artist
ca. 1479–1458 B.C.
Medium
Travertine (Egyptian alabaster)
Dimensions
l. 5.5 cm (2 3/16 in.)
Classification
Ointment jar, model, Senenmut
Period
New Kingdom
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1927
Accession Number
27.3.496
Art Historical Context
This delicate model ointment jar, crafted around 1479–1458 B.C. during Egypt's New Kingdom (Dynasty 18), exemplifies the ritual precision of ancient Egyptian foundation deposits. These tiny artifacts—often no larger than a modern lipstick tube—were ritually buried beneath temple or palace foundations to symbolically provision the structure for eternity. Measuring just 5.5 cm long, this jar mimics a real vessel for precious ointments used in religious ceremonies, ensuring divine favor and prosperity for the building above. Carved from travertine, known as Egyptian alabaster, the jar showcases ...