The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 24, 2024

Cosmetic Jar in the Form of the God Bes

Cosmetic Jar in the Form of the God Bes

664–525 BCE
Overall: 9.3 x 6.1 x 4.1 cm (3 11/16 x 2 3/8 x 1 5/8 in.)
Location: 107 Egyptian

Did You Know?

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.
  • 1995-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Kozloff, Arielle P. "Blue Bes," Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine 36, no. 1 (January 1996). pp. 4-5 archive.org
    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
  • Gifts of the Nile: Ancient Egyptian Faience. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (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).
  • {{cite web|title=Cosmetic Jar in the Form of the God Bes|url=false|author=|year=664–525 BCE|access-date=24 March 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

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