Bowl with Kufic Inscription

mid–12th century

1 of 2

Object Label

Hair Care

The ancient Egyptians took great care in grooming their hair as well as their wigs.

Egyptian men and women shaved their body hair and cut the hair on their heads very short or shaved it completely as a precaution against lice. On ceremonial occasions such as festivals or banquets, men and women wore wigs fashioned from human hair that had been pleated or twirled into locks using small curlers. A cream containing beeswax was rubbed onto the wigs so they would hold their form. Facial and pubic hair was removed with tweezers and razors.

Caption

Bowl with Kufic Inscription, mid–12th century. Ceramic, Tell Minis style; fritware, painted in luster over an opaque turquoise glaze, 3 x 9 1/2 in. (7.6 x 24.1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Asian Art Council, purchased with funds given by the Mark and Anla Cheng Kingdon Foundation and an anonymous donor and Museum Expedition 1913-1914, Museum Collection Fund, by exchange, 2000.40. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 2000.40_SL3.jpg)

Gallery

Not on view

Title

Bowl with Kufic Inscription

Date

mid–12th century

Dynasty

Fatimid

Period

Fatimid Period

Geography

Possible place made: Syria

Medium

Ceramic, Tell Minis style; fritware, painted in luster over an opaque turquoise glaze

Classification

Ceramic

Dimensions

3 x 9 1/2 in. (7.6 x 24.1 cm)

Credit Line

Gift of the Asian Art Council, purchased with funds given by the Mark and Anla Cheng Kingdon Foundation and an anonymous donor and Museum Expedition 1913-1914, Museum Collection Fund, by exchange

Accession Number

2000.40

Rights

Creative Commons-BY

You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.

Have information?

Have information about an artwork? Contact us at

bkmcollections@brooklynmuseum.org.