MIDDLE KINGDOM, 12TH DYNASTY, CIRCA 1976-1794 B.C.

Although previously published as obsidian, this small kohl pot with gold foil around the rim and base is made of hematite, a material used for cosmetic vessels and applicators during the Middle Kingdom. An example with gold foil around the rim is in the British Museum (EA 32151). For other examples see a hematite kohl pot excavated at Tell el-Dab’a, illustrated in B. G. Aston, Ancient Egyptian Stone Vessels: Materials and Forms, Heidelberg, 1994, pl. 16b, and an example in obsidian with gold foil around the rim excavated at Buhen in Nubia, in the University of Pennsylvania Museum (E 10897A). The indication in the catalogue of the Schmidt collection that this piece was once in the Gayer-Anderson collection cannot be confirmed, and may be spurious. A handwritten inventory instead suggests that this piece was in the collection of King Farouk, together with an obsidian vessel which is said to derive from the royally-sponsored excavations at Helwan conducted by Z. Saad.

King Farouk of Egypt (1920-1965) was the tenth ruler of the Muhammad Ali dynasty and an avid art collector. Known for his extravagant lifestyle, Farouk amassed an eclectic collection of art, antiques, and rare objects, including coins, stamps, and jewellery. Following his abdication in 1952, much of his collection was seized and auctioned by the Egyptian government, dispersing his treasures worldwide.