The ancient Egyptians took great pride in their appearance and cleaniness. They bathed often and in the absence of soap, they used animal or vegetable oils mixed with powered limestone.
Unguents (oils) were applied to the skin to keep it from drying out under the intense Egyptian sun.
To prevent drying effect of the sun on the hair, it was treated with a lump of moisterising cream in the form of a cosmetic cone - often depicted in paintings (at left), reliefs and sculptures from the New Kingdom. The cone would gradually melt thereby giving the wig a pleasant fragance.
Cosmetic spoons in the form of a swimming girl (a fragmentary stone one shown below) are well known from the New Kingdom onwards. The Egyptian or Nubian girl is often wearing a girdle or collar around the waist and an elaborate wig.
The girl's outstretched arms hold a container which may take the form of a duck, gazelle, fish or a bouquet of flowers.
Traditionally they have been considered to have served as a container for perfumes or ointments. They can be in either various types of stone or wood.
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Copyright © 1996-2000 Mark T. Rigby.
