The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Cosmetic Flask (mukhula) of Opaque Turquoise Glass

Art Object

Collecting Turkmen Jewelry: The Marshall and Marilyn R. Wolf Collection

In conjunction with the exhibition Turkmen Jewelry from the Collection of Marshall and Marilyn R. Wolf (on view October 9, 2012, through February 24, 2013), Marshall and Marilyn R. Wolf discuss their collecting practices and connection to The Metropolitan Museum of Art. From the first few pieces that grew into a large collection of traditional Turkmen jewelry, the couple's appreciation for the jewelry has followed them for decades and allowed them to develop unique insights into the practice of collecting.

The exhibition is made possible by the Hagop Kevorkian Fund.

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Cosmetic Flask (mukhula) of Opaque Turquoise Glass

Object Name:: Bottle
Date:: 8th–9th century
Geography:: probably Egypt
Medium:: Glass, opaque turquoise; blown, cold-painted
Dimensions:: H. 4 in (10.2 cm) Max. Diam. 1 1/8 in (2.9 cm)
Classification:: Glass
Credit Line:: Gift of Helen Miller Gould, 1910
Accession Number:: 10.130.2649

This artwork is currently on display in Gallery 454

Description

This mukhula, or container for the eye makeup known as kohl, represents a rare example of opaque turquoise glass with stained decoration, little of which has survived. Mukhulas varied little in shape and size.
Provenance

Chauncey Murch, Luxor, Egypt (until d. 1907); Mrs. Chauncey Murch(1907–10); Helen Miller Gould, New York (1910)
See also
What
Vessels (21,921)

Glass (16,037)

Painting (5,225)

Bottles (3,336)

Turquoise (455)
Where
Africa (33,501)

Egypt (29,889)
When
A.D. 500-1000 (6,672)
In the Museum
Islamic Art (12,509)
Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
The Eastern Mediterranean, 500–1000 A.D.