| Indigenous to
Upper Egypt, alabaster has been quarried for 7,000 years in
the same Egyptian locale, it is also known as Travertine.
This alabaster stone has been used since the pharaohs as a
glowing luminary--the stone takes on the glow and heat from
a candle light and spreads it evenly throughout its
structure. The secrets of the manufacture of this warm and
luminous stone have been handed down from generation to
generation, and still represent one of the pinnacles of
Egyptian handicrafts. Alabaster occurs naturally in many
shades of color from pure white to reddish-tan. When held
up to the light, it looks like quartz and is almost
see-through, if thin enough. Alabaster has been used for
centuries in Egypt to make artifacts like vases, bowls, and
today, lampshades and ashtrays.
From olden times in Egypt funerary items like sarcophaguses
and canopic equipment have been laid in alabaster, as well
as the more common household and ritual pieces. Fine
examples can be found at the Tutankhamun collection of the
Egyptian museum.
Alabaster Oval Plate |