The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of July 2, 2022

Cosmetic Jar in the Form of the God Bes

664–525 BC

Egypt, Late Period, Dynasties 26

Egyptian blue

Overall: 9.3 x 6.1 x 4.1 cm (3 11/16 x 2 3/8 x 1 5/8 in.)

Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1995.13

Location

107 Egyptian

Fun Fact

Bes was the Egyptian god of many things, including cosmetics, war, and childbirth.

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 god Bes, patron god of cosmetics, is the subject of this colorful jar.

Provenance
1995-
The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
Citations
Kozloff, Arielle P. "Blue Bes," Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine 36, no. 1 (January 1996). pp. 4-5
Friedman, Florence D., Georgina Borromeo, and Mimi Leveque. Gifts of the Nile: Ancient Egyptian Faience. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1998. Cat. No. 73, pp. 109 & 209
Berman, Lawrence M., and Kenneth J. Bohač. Catalogue of Egyptian Art: The Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1999 Reproduced: p. 441; Mentioned: p. 441-3
Exhibition history

Gifts of the Nile: Ancient Egyptian Faience. The Cleveland Museum of Art (May 10-July 5, 1998); Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, RI (August 25, 1998-January 3, 1999); Kimbell Art Museum (January 31-April 25, 1999).

Source URL: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1995.13