Barnes Takeout: Art Talk on an Egyptian Cosmetic Dish

[@susanthorkelson1655]

I always enjoy your talks, Carl! Fascinating to get a glimpse of Egyptian life and the importance of beauty. Thank you!

[@dotgaboda2629]

So interesting to understand how these objects convey something of the Egyptian view of life and nature. I enjoy the comments also and learn a lot from the discussion. Thanks for enriching my view of things that I might overlook in a visit! Can’t wait to visit again.

[@lindasauget7676]

I hope these daily servings of art continue when everyone is back at work. This has been so enriching. We look forward to them every day. Thank you!

[@patriciazandstra8511]

I totally agree!!!!

[@pamelaroesch707]

How interesting to think of the Egyptian women taking care to put makeup on and "gussy up" to bring order into their lives! And what darling little trinkets these would have been to be used for their cosmetics. I'll be so interested to see what you discover once you can get back into the Barnes and examine the other side of this gazelle. Thank you for the history of this, and making this piece of art so personal - as I contemplate my own makeup containers. Wonderful talk!!

[@carlwalsh7342]

So glad you enjoyed, I really enjoy looking at these kinds of personal objects! They give you a tiny glimpse of someone's life that, like you mention, we all can relate to, as we all have these kinds of cosmetics and regimes as part of our lives today!). And this could have belonged to a man or a woman, as both men and women wore makeup in Egypt!

[@martinwalsh3980]

Enjoyed the talk Carl. I know all about chaos this week :)

[@susanmasiko5554]

Looking forward to a future takeout with your findings in conjunction with conservation on this piece. Thank you.

[@josephmatthews558]

I love to have what I consider beautiful things around me in my daily life The cosmetic dish is something I would cultivate and enjoy. It is fun to know that cultures far removed from my life have the same idea! It makes me feel connected Thanks!

[@captainwgg]

Dr. Carl, as much as I enjoyed your talk and the simple, rough, yet evocative carving, I fear I’ve become obsessed with the hidden, functional side. And I must ask how anyone would have been able to look at and enjoy the carving when most of the time, the object would be upside down, full of cosmetic materials. Ah, sweet mysteries of life!

[@garybonas5366]

Thanks, once again, Carl. Can’t wait to see side B of this piece. Interestingly enough, I would never have associated the gazelle with Egypt. But upon research I note that there are breeds native to North Africa and the Sinai. Who knew?

[@carlwalsh7342]

Egypt used to have a much more sub-saharan African variety of wildlife, so we see so many wonderful animals like this gazelle in Egyptian art!

[@kathybrims2581]

I loved your talk today Carl, wish I had one on my dressing table! Would love to see the functional reverse side of this gorgeous piece! Thank you.

[@carlwalsh7342]

I'm looking forward to seeing it when I can come back too!

[@carolwalsh8902]

Hi Carl: Thank you for highlighting this little hidden gem in The Barnes. I will certainly look more carefully at how it fits in the ensemble and remember its purpose for daily life. Were cosmetic dishes made for and used by both women and men? I am guessing yes!

[@carlwalsh7342]

Absolutely Carol! Both men and women wore lots of kinds of cosmetics including the distinctive black kohl eyeliner the Egyptians are famous for, so this object could have belonged to a man or a woman, or perhaps even shared between a couple or family!

[@ellenryan6889]

I enjoyed this talk. It was quite good. It was particularly interesting to hear what the art historians will be looking for in the lab, once this piece can be taken down and examined. I did wonder throughout the talk how the art historians know that this carving is an authentic piece from the New Kingdom? I believe that pieces from the New Kingdom can be confirmed by radiocarbon dating but what are other ways to confirm the age of these old pieces? If the age of this piece is between 1570 BC and 1544 BC , how did Barnes authenticate his purchase? Did Barnes ever get conned on some of his purchases? If a piece is found to be a forgery by the Barnes staff, what then? Just curious....Thanks for this thought provoking talk..

[@carlwalsh7342]

All great questions Ellen! As part of my research I'll be addressing these all directly, and questions of authenticity are certainly at the front! Dating stone objects like this can be quite difficult, as radiocarbon dating can't be done on inorganic materials, instead we often have to try to trace an archaeological context (which is often incredibly difficult for items bought on the art market) or look at them comparatively with other objects. Certainly there are some Egyptian forgeries in the collection that have been identified, and I'll be discussing these and the acquisition of the Egyptian objects by Barnes in a research note on our website in the future! So stay tuned for updates!

[@lynnbrooks2925]

I notice those big ribs, too -- perhaps a hungry gazelle? -- a panting one? Let us know what you discover when you get into the conservation lab with this piece!

[@hobbes4583]

I'm struck by this vast ellipse which overshadows and dwarfs the tiny bound feet. Order over chaos- inertia over speed- stability over freedom? Symbolically it still describes oppositions in our 'advanced' culture. We haven't come far.

[@laxmidhrabisi371]

What is this picture 👀