Daily Life of Women in Ancient Egypt by Lisa K. Sabbahy;

Author:Lisa K. Sabbahy; [Sabbahy;, Lisa K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781440870132
Publisher: ABC-CLIO
Published: 2022-02-07T00:00:00+00:00

People’s personal belongings were kept in wooden boxes; there were no drawers, cupboards, or clothes closets in ancient Egyptian houses. Clothing, footwear, jewelry, and toiletry items were all kept in wooden boxes. These boxes could be with or without short legs, and inside these could be divided into compartments designed to hold different objects. These compartments are most commonly found in boxes for jewelry and cosmetics. Jewelry boxes tended to be smaller and much more decorative than the other boxes, and ebony, ivory, and faience were often applied to the wood or used for the handles.

Merit had a rectangular wooden box put in her tomb when she was buried (Vassilika 2010: 51–53). When it was found, the box was still tied closed and sealed with a mud sealing. A short inscription on the side of the box, which must have been added just before her burial, says that it is for Merit’s soul. The box was painted with a checkerboard pattern and rows of lotus blossoms and divided into five compartments inside for her cosmetics. She had four alabaster jars, three with covers and one with a little silver handle. She had one unusual jar made out of a horn, with a bronze handle, and one tall-necked faience jar. She also had a dark blue jar with a lid made out of glass, which was rare at that time. Merit also had a blue and yellow kohl tube, also made out of glass with a wooden stick to apply the kohl. All these containers were found fitted into the compartments of the box, along with a wooden comb.

A bronze mirror from an early New Kingdom tomb at Thebes. The handle is in the shape of a papyrus plant. (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)

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