Ca. 3000-2000 BC.A fine Bactrian alabaster vessel featuring a rounded base with the sides of the body slightly flaring outwards terminating at a flared rim. It has a beautiful cream colour, with veins of white and light brown running through its body. Alabaster was a precious material, widely traded in the region from the 4th millennium BC onward. The purpose of such a vessel is not known. Pieces like this one often came from burials and votive offerings. Along with others that make up the typology of stone vessels, together with the well-known column or circular idols, these are all characteristic of the Bactrian material culture.Size: L:205mm / W:100mm ; 1.62kgProvenance: Property of a West London gentleman; previously in a collection formed on the UK/International art market in the 1980s.