(2013) Three cosmetics vases - Trois vases à cosmétiques
Georges Verlyvisibility
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Numerous containers were used for Egyptian cosmetics to protect ointments from dust and changing climatic conditions. Stone, such as glass, were the materials most frequently used as they are sufficiently neutral to hold active ingredients.
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The P.Oxy. 5242 and perfume recipes in the ancient world, in "Rosetta Journal", vol. 26 (2021), pp. 1-21
The Oxyrhynchus Papyri are an important source regarding everyday life in Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt. Some of the volumes in which they are published contain medical texts, like the P.Oxy. 5242 (second century AD) in volume LXXX. This papyrus discusses the preparation of iris, rose and lily oil, whose recipes are also described in a similar way in Dioscorides' De materia medica. Moreover, the three ointments are examined in Theophrastus' De odoribus and Historia Plantarum and in Pliny the Elder's Naturalis Historia. Therefore it is possible to compare the P.Oxy. 5242 with these different sources, highlighting how other authors have discussed the same topic, albeit in different contexts. This article aims to show the interest in the art of thickening oils in the ancient world, focusing on the multiple perceived uses of plants and their products in practices related to perfumery and medicine. The P.Oxy. 5242 and the perfume recipes in the ancient world The documentary papyri from Oxyrhynchus can reveal aspects of everyday life in Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt from the first to the fourth century AD. They comprise both public and private documents, like letters, registers, edicts and texts regarding the activities practiced by common people. Among these documents there are recipes for the preparation of 'φάρμακα', medical remedies made with natural ingredients and used for the care of the human body. The term 'φάρμακα' also entailed what we nowadays call perfumes, which, in the ancient world, were not realised with alcoholic substances, but by thickening oils. 1 In Volume LXXX of the Oxyrhynchus Papyri, dedicated to medical texts, there is a fragment related to the art 1 Preparing an ointment was an intellectual interest: this activity was carried out by the root cutter ('ῥιζοτόμος'), the thickeners of oils ('μυρεψοί'), and the sellers of the final products ('φαρμακοπῶλαι').
Ointment/Medicine Vessels from Patara: An Overview of a simple Hellenistic Form in the Ancient Mediterranean World”
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Athenian vases, functions and contexts
Freshly fired crockery was a commodity rarely in short supply in ancient Greece. 249 Except during the impoverished generations that followed the collapse of the Late Bronze Age, the rich clay beds dotted throughout Greece were consistently exploited on a major scale by potters, often of exceptional talent. The vast distribution of Greek pottery, from the Achaemenid palace at Susa to the graves at Alcácer do Sal in Portugal, from Pyramid XXIV in Meroe to the Vix burial near Châtillon sur Seine, is well known. 250 The mechanics of this trade, and the graffiti and dipinti it left on the vases have been studied in depth by Alan Johnston and others. 251 This essay considers instead the shapes and forms into which these vases were fashioned and the uses to which they were put, in the context of the production of the very same shapes in other media: in order to determine what characteristics, if any, made pottery distinctive. The circulation of these vases in diverse media throughout the Greek world, beyond the commercial infrastructure, makes an important contribution to the understanding of these issues. As with other parts of Greece, Athenian potters were to produce three categories of pottery: unglazed coarse ware; and two types of fine-ware, those entirely or mostly glazed, and the most luxurious which were decorated with figures. To these figurally decorated wares should be added plastic vases: small perfume vessels modelled in various forms, and the larger drinking vessels, often oinochoai and rhyta, that were intended for the symposium. Coarse-ware provided solutions for storage (pithoi), shipping (transport amphorae), and kitchenware. 252 It was also fashioned into necessities as diverse as water pipes, beehives, roof tiles and architectural adornment. 253 Some of the large pithoi, although made of gritty clay, are remarkable technical and architectural achievements in their own right. It was inside one of them that hope was trapped when the curious Pandora lifted off the lid. 254 With the exception of roof tiles and architectural adornment which could on occasion be upgraded to marble, the coarse wares would seem not to have had much external competition. The fine wares offered a range of shapes that were designed with some care to perform specific functions. 255 Broadly speaking, they served either as containers for perfume and unguents and small containers for jewellery; or as table-ware for the symposium. The former were made primarily with a female clientele in mind, the latter with a male. But there were many degrees of overlap. Perfume vessels have been found in many male graves, just as sympotic vessels have been recovered from female burials. Most pieces of the pottery recovered from the Marathon tumulus were lekythoi attributed to the eponymous 249 I am grateful to Rui Morais for his invitation to contribute to this volume. For a survey of Greek pottery, see Cook 1997; for the earlier fabrics,
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We wish to thank A. Tsingarida and D. Viviers for inviting us to give a paper at the Pottery Market conference and the participants for their many contributions and comments. We would also like to thank D. Williams who read an earlier draft of this paper: his remarks and observations helped improve it in many ways. We had many lively and stimulating discussions with C. Jubier-Galinier and G. Reger about perfume and perfume vases: to both of them, we extend our warmest thanks. All dates are BC unless otherwise stated.
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Adorning the body: hairstyle, dress, jewellery I. Papageorgiou 11. Aromatic plants, perfumes and perfume vases: their uses in everyday and religious life during Archaic and Classical times D. Aktseli-E. Manakidou 12. Making materials for beauty in Ancient Greece Ph. Walter 13. Beautification and Beauty: the legacy of prehistory to the historical times of Greek Antiquity I. D. Fappas CATALOGUE OF ANTIQUITIES KALLOS Introduction Divine beauty Divine beauty contests Daemonic beauty Abductions of beauty and erotic encounters Archaic and Classical/Hellenistic beauty Kallos of mortals Athletic beauty Heroic beauty ʻKaloi' and ʻKalai' in antiquity Timely beauty, untimely death BEAUTIFICATION The bath Use of perfumes and unguents Face and body care Hairstyles and dress Adornment
Georges Verly
Anhydrite
Grand : H. : 7,1 cm ; diam : 6,4 cm
Moyen : H. : 6,9 cm ; diam : 5,5 cm
Petit : H. : 4,3 cm ; diam. : 4,5 cm
Egypte
Moyen Royaume
XIIe dynastie
Non restauré
Provenance : ?
N°6 Three cosmetics vases
Numerous containers were used for Egyptian cosmetics to protect ointments from dust and changing
climatic conditions. Stone, such as glass, were the materials most frequently used as they are
sufficiently neutral to hold active ingredients.
These three vases in bluish anhydrite, with a cylindrical shape widening at the ends, are closed
usually with a flat, unlabeled cover, placed on top of a distinct upper lip. As a precautionary
measure, these vases would have been covered with linen, which is then tied and sealed.1 They would
have been containers for various ointments or oils. The excipient, either a fatty substance or a
solvent, is mixed with a perfumed essence (with frankincense, flower perfume, styrax, etc. as the
basis). The extraction of aromatic ingredients was done through cooking and saturation. Myrrh or
terebinth resin were used to conserve these fragile perfumes.
These perfumes are ubiquitous2 in all areas of daily life, both for laypeople and for sacred use. We
have picked out as examples, some uses for this type of vase: in funeral meal settings, the deceased
would have this vase held to his nostrils, described as the ointment of festivities. During libations,
Nakht used the vase to oil onto a table covered in offerings.3 The chancellor Dedtou practised the
medjet-anointing ritual to the god, Osiris, waving it at arm's length.4 At banquets, the guests would
enjoy the perfume of the celebratory ointments, which were used as ceremonial ointment during the
anniversary of Pepi I's coronation.5 These vases were also used by women when washing with the
aim of seduction.6
The shape of these vases makes reference to a well-known typological series. A partial inventory
allows us to gain an idea of its longevity. This type of object is found, for example, in alabaster in
1
Three vases for ointments, obsidian or gold (similar to that of Byblos for light oil, tomb I, Amenemhat III),
contain red make-up, myrrh and a perfumed resin. Six alabaster vases and a box. Sithathoriunet, daughter of
Senusret II, 12th dynasty, El-Lahun. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, (in order of quotation) 16.1.33 a-b,
16.1.34a-b, 16.1.35a-b, 16.1.37a-b, 16.1.38a-b, 16.1.39a-b, 16.1.40a-b, 16.1.41a-b, 16.1.43a-b, 16.1.2a-b.
2
They can be stored in a compartmentalised, portable case. The front of the case bears the hieratic inscription oil.
Each cover of the eight cosmetic jars bears a label detailing its contents. 13th dynasty, Dashour, from within the
pyramid of Amenemhat II, tomb of the royal daughter, Khnoumit. Museum of Cairo, CG 18651(A), 18652 –
18659, 18661(B).
3
Tomb of Nakht, 18th dynasty, TT 52.
4
Dedtou stele, 12th dynasty, Musée du Louvre, N 212.
5
Celebratory pot for the anniversary of Pepi I's coronation, 6th dynasty. Musée du Louvre, N 527, E 5356 and E
3165.
6
Cosmetic box of Kemeni, 12th dynasty, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, MMA 26.7.1438.
1
the 1st and 2nd dynasties7, as well as under Pepi I and Pepi II8, in alabaster, diorite or rhyolite9 in
the Middle Kingdom and in Egyptian blue10 or in wood, as an replica11, in the New Kingdom.
Their uniqueness, a chronologically determining factor, is the composition of anhydrite (CaSO 4)12,
bluish stone mainly used in the Middle Kingdom13 and into the Second Intermediate Period14. Their
anhydrous mineral structure15 is either the result of precipitation in a desiccant basin16, or from
dehydration of gypsum17. Their Egyptian name is unknown, as well as the exact location of the
ancient quarries. We are also unaware of why anhydrite was no longer used in the New Kingdom.
GV
N°6 Trois vases à cosmétiques
La cosmétique égyptienne utilise de nombreux contenants pour protéger ses onguents de la poussière
et des variations climatiques. La pierre, comme le verre, sont des matières couramment usitées car
elles sont suffisamment neutres pour contenir des principes actifs.
Ces trois vases en anhydrite bleuâtre, de forme cylindrique s’évasant aux extrémités, se ferment par
un couvercle plat, non-étiqueté, posé sur une lèvre supérieure distincte. Par mesure de précaution,
ces vases doivent être recouverts d’un tissu en lin, lui-même ligaturé et le tout scellé.18 Ils ont dû
contenir divers onguents ou huiles. L’excipient, soit un corps gras soit un solvant, est mélangé à
l’essence odorante (à base d’oliban, fleurs, styrax…). L’extraction des principes aromatiques se fait
par cuisson et par saturation. De la résine de myrrhe ou de térébinthe sont utilisées pour conserver
ces parfums volatils.
Ces parfums sont omniprésents19 dans tous les domaines de la vie quotidienne profane et sacrée.
Nous avons relevés, à titre d’exemples, quelques usages pratiqués avec ce type de vase : dans les
scènes de repas funéraire, le défunt porte à ses narines ce vase, décrit comme l’onguent des fêtes. Lors
de libations, Nakht l’utilise pour verser de l’huile sur une table garnie d’offrandes.20 Le chancelier
7
From Abu Rawash amd Abydos. Musée du Louvre, E 16633 A-B-C.
Ceremonial ointment. Celebratory pot for the anniversary of Pepi I's coronation, 6th dynasty. Musée du Louvre,
N 648 and N657.
9
Musée du Louvre, E 23133, E 25968bis, E 23141, E 23126 and E 23186. Other materials were also used.
10
Musée du Louvre, E 22580. We could also consider whether this object is an imitation of Middle Kingdom
examples.
11
Musée du Cinquantenaire, E.03388.
12
Fairly rare crystals; they can reach a size of 15 cm.
13
The first example would date to Sesostris I. British Museum, BM E24118.
14
The last would be a bowl enhanced with four monkeys in relief, from an intact tomb excavated by Petrie, Dra
Abou el-Naga, end of the 18th dynasty, before the reign of Kamose. Petrie W. M. Flinders, Qurneh, London, British
School of Archaeology in Egypt n°16, 1909, p. 7. Dating: Bourriau J., Nubians in Egypt During the Second
Intermediate Period. An Interpretation Based on Egyptian Ceramic Evidence, in Studien zur altägyptischen
Keramik, ed. Arnold, 1981, p. 35. Aston B., Ancient Egyptian Stone Vessels. Materials and Forms. Studien zur
Archäologie und Geschichte Altägyptens, MDAIK 5, 1994, p. 51-53.
15
Identical example without its cover. The Fitzwilliam Museum, E.236.1900.
16
Process favoured by high temperature (over 42ºC) and high salinity. The calcium carbonate deposit is produced
first, followed by gypsum and if the salinity increases, the anhydrite comes and finally halite.
17
Diagenetic change which takes place when gypsum is very deeply buried.
8
Trois vases à onguent, obsidienne et or (semblable à celui de Byblos pour huile fine, tombe I, Amenemhat III), contiennent du fard
rouge, de la myrrhe et une résine parfumée. Six vases en albâtre et un coffret. Sat-Hathor-Iounit, fille de Sésotris II, XIIe dynastie,
Illahoun. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, (par ordre de citation) 16.1.33 a-b, 16.1.34a-b, 16.1.35a-b, 16.1.37a-b, 16.1.38a-b, 16.1.39ab, 16.1.40a-b, 16.1.41a-b, 16.1.43a-b, 16.1.2a-b.
19 Ils peuvent être stockés dans un coffret compartimenté et portatif. Le devant du coffret porte en hiératique l’inscription huile. Chaque
couvercle des huit balsamaires porte la légende de son contenu. XIII e dynastie, Dashour, enceinte de la pyramide d’Amenemhat II,
sépulture de la fille royale Khnoumit. Musée du Caire, CG 18651(A), 18652 – 18659, 18661(B).
20 Tombe de Nakht, XVIIIe dynastie, TT 52.
18
2
Dedtou pratique le rite faire l’onction-medjet au dieu Osiris, le brandissant à bout de bras.21 Lors de
banquets, les convives profitent des émanations de l’onguent des fêtes, qui sert d’onguent cérémoniel
lors de l’anniversaire de couronnement de Pépi I.22 Ces vases sont également utilisés par les femmes
lors de leur toilette à des fins de séduction.23
La forme de ces vases fait référence à une série typologique connue. Un recensement partiel permet
de se faire une idée de sa longévité. Ce type d’artefact se retrouve, par exemple, en albâtre à la I er et
à la IIe dynastie24, ainsi que sous Pépi I et Pépi II25, en albâtre, diorite ou rhyolite26 au Moyen
Royaume et en bleu égyptien27 ou en bois, comme fac-similé28, au Nouvel Empire.
Leur singularité, déterminante chronologiquement, est leur composition en anhydrite (CaSO4)29,
pierre bleuâtre essentiellement utilisée au Moyen Royaume30 et à la Seconde Période Intermédiaire31.
Leur structure minérale anhydrée32 est le fait soit d’une précipitation dans un bassin dessicant33, soit
d’une déshydratation du gypse34. Leur désignation en égyptien nous est inconnue, ainsi que la
localisation exacte des carrières antiques. Nous ignorons également pourquoi l’anhydrite n’a plus
été utilisé au Nouvel Empire. GV
Bibliographie
Aston B. G., Ancient Egyptian Stone Vessels. Materials and Forms. Studien zur Archäologie und Geschichte Altägyptens, 5 MDAIK,
1994, p. 51-53.
Bourriau J. et al., Pharaohs and Mortals . Egyptian Art in the Middle Kingdom, Cambridge University Press, 1988, pp. 142-145.
De Putter Th., Karlshausen Ch., Les pierres utilisées dans la sculpture et l’architecture de l’Egypte pharaonique, Connaissance de
l’Egypte ancienne, Bruxelles, 1992, pp. 49-50.
Fay B., L’art égyptien du Moyen Empire, Egypte Afrique & Orient, n°31, octobre 2003, p. 33.
Josset P., Hygiène et Beauté dans la vie privée en Egypte pharaonique, dans Grasse M.-Chr., L’égypte . Parfums d’histoire, Paris, 2003,
pp. 87-106.
Karlshausen Chr., De Putter Th. (éds.), Pierres égyptiennes… Chefs-d’oeuvre pour l’éternité, (cat. d’exposition. Mons, 2000), Mons, 2000,
p. 159.
Manniche L., Egyptian Luxuries . Fragrance, Aromatherapy, and Cosmetics in Pharaonic Times, Cairo, 1999, pp. 109-111, 120 et 135142.
Manniche L., Parfums et cosmétiques dans Warmenbol E. et al., Beautés d’Egypte . Celles que les ans ne peuvent moissonner, Treignes,
2002, pp. 59-64.
Piérini G., Parfums et cosmétiques d’Egypte, Archéologia, n° 390, Juin 2002, pp. 23-33.
Warmenbol E., La débile et l’indélébile Le tatouage en Egypte pharaonique dans Warmenbol E. et al., Beautés d’Egypte . Celles que les
ans ne peuvent moissonner, Treignes, 2002, pp. 71-74.
Wildung D. et al., La femme au temps des pharaons, ed. Philipp Von Zabern, Bruxelles, 1985, p. 139.
Stèle de Dedtou, XIIe dynastie, Musée du Louvre, N 212.
Pot célébrant l’anniversaire de couronnement de Pépi I, VIe dynastie. Musée du Louvre, N 527, E 5356 et E 3165.
23 Coffret cosmétique de Kemeni, XIIe dynastie, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, MMA 26.7.1438.
24 Provenant d’Abou Roach et d’Abydos. Musée du Louvre, E 16633 A-B-C.
25 Onguent cérémoniel. Pot célébrant l’anniversaire de couronnement de Pépi II, VI e dynastie. Musée du Louvre, N 648 et N657.
26 Musée du Louvre, E 23133, E 25968bis, E 23141, E 23126 et E 23186. D’autres matériaux sont également utilisés.
27 Musée du Louvre, E 22580. Nous pouvons nous demander si cet artefact est une imitation des exemplaires du Moyen Royaume.
28 Musée du Cinquantenaire, E.03388.
29 Cristaux assez rares pouvant atteindre 15 cm.
30 Le premier exemplaire daterait de Sésostris I. Musée du British Museum, BM E24118.
31 Le dernier serait un bol rehaussé de quatre singes en relief, provenant d'une tombe intacte fouillée par Petrie, Dra Abou el-Naga, fin de
la XVIIe dynastie, avant le règne de Kamosé. Petrie W. M. Flinders, Qurneh, London, British School of Archaeology in Egypt n°16,
1909, p. 7. Datation : Bourriau J., Nubians in Egypt During the Second Intermediate Period. An Interpretation Based on Egyptian
Ceramic Evidence, in Studien zur altägyptischen Keramik, ed. Arnold, 1981, p. 35. Aston B., Ancient Egyptian Stone Vessels. Materials
and Forms . Studien zur Archäologie und Geschichte Altägyptens, MDAIK 5, 1994, p. 51-53.
32 Exemplaire identique, sans son couvercle. The Fitzwilliam Museum, E.236.1900.
33 Processus favorisé par une haute température (plus de 42° C) et par une haute salinité. La déposition de carbonate de calcium se produit
en premier, suivi par le gypse et si la salinité augmente, vient l’anhydrite et finalement l’halite.
34 Changement diagénétique qui a lieu lorsque le gypse est profondément enfoui.
21
22
3
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