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Source Description
Both ancient Egyptian men and women loved cosmetics. Unguents, oils, and perfumes made from aromatic plant resins and gums were obtained at great cost from distant lands. The objects identified with cosmetics were given lavish treatment. The luxurious obsidian and gold beaker hints at the precious contents it once held. Others are fanciful in form, such as an ostrich egg. The god Bes, patron god of cosmetics, himself is the subject of a colorful jar. The delicately carved human face and the head of a giraffe decorated elaborate ivory cosmetic spoons.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
159299
label
Comb with Gazelle
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
159299
contentType
object
title
Comb with Gazelle
description
Both ancient Egyptian men and women loved cosmetics. Unguents, oils, and perfumes made from aromatic plant resins and gums were obtained at great cost from distant lands. The objects identified with cosmetics were given lavish treatment. The luxurious obsidian and gold beaker hints at the precious contents it once held. Others are fanciful in form, such as an ostrich egg. The god Bes, patron god of cosmetics, himself is the subject of a colorful jar. The delicately carved human face and the head of a giraffe decorated elaborate ivory cosmetic spoons.
date
c. 1391–1353 BCE
citation
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q60751750
genreSpecific
Cosmetic Objects
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 5.4 x 5.7 x 0.4 cm (2 1/8 x 2 1/4 x 3/16 in.)
cul
Egypt, New Kingdom (1540–1069 BCE), Dynasty 18, reign of Amenhotep III (1390–1352 BCE)
accession
1995.9
Source extras
tec
wood
tombstone
Comb with Gazelle, c. 1391–1353 BCE. Egypt, New Kingdom (1540–1069 BCE), Dynasty 18, reign of Amenhotep III (1390–1352 BCE). Wood; overall: 5.4 x 5.7 x 0.4 cm (2 1/8 x 2 1/4 x 3/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Jean-Luc and Véronique Chalmin, 1995.90
collection
Egypt - New Kingdom
didYouKnow
This ivory comb was likely a treasured cosmetic object.
citations
citation
Berman, Lawrence M., and Kenneth J. Bohač.<em> Catalogue of Egyptian Art: The Cleveland Museum of Art.</em> Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1999
page_number
Reproduced: p. 304; Mentioned: p. 304
creditline
Gift of Jean-Luc and Véronique Chalmin
updatedAt
2026-05-29 08:15:35.556000
sourceId
159299
dept
Egyptian and Ancient Near Eastern Art
coll
Egypt - New Kingdom
med
wood
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
c679b19aa8491066