Cosmetic Jar in the Form of the God Bes
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.
Details
- Palette
-
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- Medium
- Egyptian blue
- Dimensions
- overall: height 0.093 m, width 0.061 m, depth 0.041 m
- Department
- Egyptian and Ancient Near Eastern Art
- Holding institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Image provider
- cleveland-museum-of-art
- License
- CC0-1.0
- Credit
- Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Art Genome Taxonomy
8 tags
Subject Matter
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Deities and Holy Figures Both · 100%
The museum identifies the represented figure as the god Bes, and the image clearly depicts a deliberately modeled divine anthropomorphic figure.
Visual Qualities
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Symmetrical Visual · 97%
The figure is arranged frontally with a strongly balanced bilateral composition, including paired ears, eyes, breasts, arms, hands, legs, and feet.
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Bulbous Visual · 94%
The rounded belly, breasts, cheeks, limbs, and compact body create an emphatically rounded, bulbous silhouette.
Medium and Techniques
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Frontal Perspective Visual · 95%
The object is presented as a direct, head-on figure, with the face and body aligned squarely toward the viewer.
Time Periods
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Ancient Art Metadata · 99%
The catalog dates the object to 664–525 BCE, placing it within ancient art.
Geographic Regions
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Egyptian Art Metadata · 99%
The catalog identifies Egypt as the place of origin and places the work in Egyptian and Ancient Near Eastern Art.
Cultural and Religious Styles
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Ancient Egypt Metadata · 99%
The museum identifies the object as Egyptian, from the Late Period and Dynasty 26.
Tableware, Vessels, and Objects
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Vessel Both · 100%
The Cleveland Museum of Art classifies the object as a vessel and titles it a cosmetic jar; the image shows a compact container integrated with a broad upper rim and anthropomorphic body.
Source & rights
Unknown artist. Cosmetic Jar in the Form of the God Bes. Cleveland Museum of Art.