The Amarna period was a high point in the decorative arts. Common objects were often fashioned of elegant and costly materials like ivory and glass.In this case, there’s a selection of luxury items from the Amarna period. The long-necked turquoise vessel on the top shelf is a good example. Its body was made by winding light blue glass threads around a sand core. Then, alternating rods of white and dark blue glass were pressed into the surface and combed to produce the chevron pattern. Now look on the bottom shelf for a small ivory rectangular object. This is a writing palette inscribed for the princess Meketaten, Nefertiti’s second daughter. Meketaten died when she was only about ten years old. Her palette still has three reed styluses in the central compartment, and four cakes of pigment. At the opposite side of the bottom shelf are two ointment cases. They’re in the form of trussed and plucked mallard ducks. Their backs act as hinged covers. A little reservoir of solid perfume or cream would have been kept inside.