ca. 4000 BC. Bactrian. Large cream-coloured alabaster bowl with a round base and curved sides and a thick, rounded rim. This elegant object may have been used to carry out ceremonies or make religious offerings to the gods. The vessel was carved from a monolith of calcite (alabaster) that is similar in colour and appearance to the stone commonly used by Egyptian sculptors for luxury tableware in the late 4th millennium B.C. Excellent condition; on a custom-made stand.Size: L:105mm / W:155mm ; 1.2kg; Provenance: From an old British collection of Asian Art formed in the 1990 on the UK and European art market.