Unguent Vase with Magnificent Symbols of Unification

Cosmetic articles were very important in Egyptian households.

Scenes showing elaborate vases and spoons for ointments and perfumes were depicted in tomb paintings and actual artifacts have been found in tombs and elsewhere.

Of all the magnificent alabaster vases found in the tomb of Tutankhamun, this unguent container is the most impressive.

The composition depicts different symbols that represent the unification of the country and serve to protect its fertility: the vase with the bound lilies and papyrus plants, the uraei, or cobras, with the crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt, and the two pot-bellied figures of the Nile god.

The falcons cut in openwork at the base protect the king's name.