Handcrafted box

Dressing tables didn’t appear until the 17th century — before then, many ancient cultures crafted ornate, portable boxes to store make-up. This 28-centimetre-long Cosmetic Box of Cupbearer Kemini was made of cedar, with ebony and ivory veneer and silver mounting. It also had a drawer for storing eight vessels and a compartment with a removable lid for storing a mirror, a comb and other paraphernalia. Egyptian cosmetic boxes could also be made from bone, bronze, faience or pottery.