Alabastron

This article is about the ancient type of pottery. For the as yet unidentified ancient Egyptian city, see Alabastron (Egypt).

Greek glass alabastron, probably made in Italy in 1st/2nd century BC, and now part of the Campana Collection of the Musée du Louvre.

An alabastron /ˌæləˈbæstrən, -ˌtrɒn/ or alabastrum /ˌæləˈbæstrəm/ (Ancient Greek: ἀλάβαστρον or ἀλάβαστος; plural: alabastra or alabastri (ἀλάβαστρα or ἀλάβαστα)) is a small tapering or pear-shaped vessel, having no feet, used for holding perfumes or massage oils.

They originated around the 11th century BC in ancient Egypt and spread via ancient Greece to other parts of the classical world. The first mention of such scent bottles comes from Herodotus, who refers to a myrrh alabastron (μύρου ἀλάβαστρο) as one of the gifts sent by Cambyses to the king of Ethiopia.

They were originally crafted from alabaster, particularly the onyx-alabaster variety, which was commonly used for this purpose. However, it's uncertain whether the vessels were named after the material or if the material was named after the vessels. They can also be made from stone and terra-cotta, with other materials like glass and even gold (χρύσεια ἀλάβαστρα) being used as well.

Most types of alabastron have a narrow body with a rounded end, a narrow neck and a broad, splayed mouth. They were often left without handles, but some types were equipped with ear-shaped projections or lugs into which holes were punched. Strings were then put through these holes for easy mobility.

The design of the first Egyptian alabastra was inspired by the palm tree, with a columnar shape, a palm capital and a stand. Later designs were made from glass decorated with various patterns, such as scallops, festoons, or abstract patterns of rings or zigzags.

Around the 7th century BC, alabastra spread to Greece and became an important element of ancient Greek pottery. There were three distinct types of Greek alabastron:

• A basic Corinthian bulbous shape standing about 3–4 inches (76–102 mm) tall; a popular design found throughout Greece.
• A long and pointed version commonly seen in eastern Greek, Etruscan, and Italo-Corinthian pottery.
• An Attic type about 4–8 inches (10–20 cm) long with a rounded base and lugs for carrying purposes.

Alabastra also appeared in many other places in the ancient world, notably Assyria, Syria and Palestine, all having presumably been inspired by or exported from Greece or Egypt.

Within a hundred years after arriving in the area, Greek artisans were producing elaborately decorated silver alabastra, long and narrow and 12–16 centimeters (4.7–6.3 in) in height. The decoration usually involved dividing the body of the vase into four horizontal zones by ornamental bands around it.

An alabastrotheca (ἀλαβαστροθήκη or ἀλαβαστοθήκη) was a box or casket for storing alabastra or a holder used to keep the bottles upright when not in use, as their rounded bottoms made them unable to stand on their own.

See also

• Ancient Greek vase painting
• Pottery of ancient Greece

Bibliography

• "Alabastron." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2006