Cosmetic palette
Carved palettes like this may have been used for grinding the pigments used for eye paint, were sometimes found in burials of this early period. By zooming in on the top left corner, you can see the incised figure of a man represented in the style which became standard throughout Egyptian history. This figure appears to hold a staff in one hand and possibly a mace in the other, both objects that became traditionally associated with power.
If you turn the palette entirely around you can see the modern repairs that have been made to this piece.
- Catalogue no: UC15841