Cosmetic spoon
New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, likely reign of Amenhotep III, c. 1390-1352 B.C.
Musée du Louvre. E 218
In the realm of Ancient Egyptian personal adornment, the cosmetic spoon emerges as a captivating blend of artistry and daily ritual. Far more than a simple vessel, these delicately carved spoons; often depicting figures of swimmers, lotus blossoms, or animals, offered a glimpse into the sophisticated cosmetic practices of the New Kingdom.
Fashioned from fine woods and occasionally inlaid or engraved, the spoons were used for mixing and presenting fragrant oils, unguents, or powdered pigments, integral to the Egyptian beauty regimen. While kohl, the iconic black eye cosmetic, was stored in dedicated jars, the cosmetic spoon played a complementary role, preparing and offering the palette of colours and scents that adorned the living and accompanied the dead into the afterlife.
New Kingdom, 18th-19th Dynasty, c.1550–1185 B.C.
Ivory, ebony wood, painted.
Now in the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow. I.1.а 3627
The vessel is shaped as a pink lotus flower and has a side-shifting lid. An ivory figurine of a swimming girl serves as a handle. The girl’s head is covered with a dark brown wig from ebony. Rectangular ridges on it imitate locks.
The neck is decorated with an engraved necklace from lotus petals, and an ornate belt girds her waist. On the lower part of the thighs there is a schematic image (possibly a tattoo) of the god Bes, the patron of homes and the protector of women and children.
The very design of these spoons was imbued with symbolism. The lotus flower, for instance, symbolised rebirth and divine grace, while depictions of young women and animals evoked the sensual pleasures and bounties of the Nile. Often accompanying elite burials, cosmetic spoons not only spoke to an individual’s wealth and status but also reflected profound spiritual beliefs. To the ancient Egyptians, the act of beautification was intertwined with ritual, health, and protection, rendering these exquisite spoons a testament to a culture that saw the body as a sacred vessel, deserving of both adornment and care.
Believed to be made from the wood of a Carob and/or Tamarix.
New Kingdom, Late 18th-Early 19th Dynasty, c. 1327-1186 B.C.
Musée du Louvre. E 8025
Scholars continue to debate the precise purpose of the Cosmetic Spoon. While many believe they served as practical containers for mixing or offering cosmetic paints or aromatic oils, others suggest a more ritualistic significance.
Some propose that these spoons were not merely functional but also played roles in religious or funerary contexts, perhaps holding incense, unguents, or other substances used in temple offerings or purification rites. If the latter interpretation holds true, these spoons may have transcended their aesthetic and practical functions to become symbols of divine offerings, rebirth, or spiritual transformation, linking daily beauty rituals with sacred belief.
It is both probable and likely that cosmetic spoons served a dual purpose, fulfilling roles in both daily life and special, ritualistic contexts. These intricately carved vessels, often depicting swimmers, animals, or symbolic motifs, were certainly used to hold or prepare cosmetics, perfumes, and oils essential to personal adornment. Yet, their elaborate forms and frequent association with burial goods suggest a deeper, ritualistic significance. It is plausible that such spoons were also used in religious ceremonies or funerary rites, offering scented oils, unguents, or even incense as part of sacred practices. In this way, the cosmetic spoon embodies the Egyptian worldview, where the boundaries between the practical and the spiritual were elegantly blurred.
The first (Musée du Louvre. N 1735), attributed to the New Kingdom (c. 1550–1069 B.C.), takes the form of a foreign figure clad in a pleated loincloth, standing tall and bearing a large jar upon his back. This wooden spoon, complete with engraved and inlaid details, once featured a swivel lid (now missing) that would have secured the cosmetic contents. The depiction of a foreign bearer carrying a jar evokes the imagery of tribute bearers in tomb and temple reliefs, symbolising both the opulence of imported goods and the ritualistic preparations for beauty and spiritual protection. Both spoons, carved with precision and imbued with symbolism, offer intimate glimpses into the world of Egyptian cosmetics, where beauty, ritual, and social status intertwined.
The second (Musée du Louvre. N 1737) spoon, a wooden cosmetic spoon from the early 18th Dynasty (c. 1550–1425 B.C.), depicts a young girl standing nude with her hair in delicate side-locks, her arms gracefully cradling three lotus bouquets and three ducks. Though the figure’s feet are missing, the spoon’s design, complete with a sawtooth pattern encircling the bowl, evokes the floral and aquatic motifs so beloved in Egyptian art. This piece, believed to have been excavated at Gurna in West Thebes, likely formed part of a noblewoman’s cosmetic assemblage, reflecting both the sensual elegance and spiritual symbolism of the lotus and waterfowl.
