Vessel fragment
Medium:Obsidian
Geography: Excavated at the tomb of King Aha, Abydos, Egypt
Date: c. 3100-2890 BC
Period: Reign of Aha, 1st Dynasty, Early Dynastic Period
Dimensions:3.6 x 3.4 x 3.3 cm
Object number: 902.6.2
Gallery Location:Galleries of Africa: Egypt
DescriptionThis small fragment was once part of an elegant and precious container made of obsidian. The black volcanic stone may have reached Egypt from Ethiopia by indirect trade from Punt, and/or by donkey caravan and boat through Nubia. During the Old Kingdom, an obsidian vessel sometimes formed one of the set of containers used in the Opening of the Mouth Ceremony at an elite burial. In latter times, obsidian was sometimes used in luxurious cosmetic containers.
