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Roman Period 'cosmetic' trays
Small bowls often made in a soft stone (steatite), perhaps produced as votive offerings in the cult of Isis and Serapis. They may have been made in Alexandria, and are decorated on the inside with a variety of motifs: Isis and Serapis, crocodiles, erotic scenes, scorpions, Harpocrates. Some of the trays are pierced, as if to hang from a wall. Petrie identified these as cosmetic dishes, but this is not certain.
These objects show a wide stylistic range. Some of the motifs are executed in a purely classical style, other are Egyptian (such as the child figure on UC 2449).
(click on the images for more information)
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