Egyptian Lachrymal or tear vial
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Description
This small narrow-necked terracotta vial from the Egyptian 11th dynasty was used to catch and keep tears. When a pharaoh or important official died, mourners shed their tears in the little vials which were then sealed in the tomb. The deceased would see these tokens of grief when he reached the next world. Inside the lachrymal a rolled-up envelope was found containing the following information written on it: “Given by Napoleon and believed to be a cane head once belonging to Marshal Soult of Waterloo, who fought under Napoleon”. Marshal Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult, the Duc de Dalmatie (1769-1851) was Napoleon’s Chief-of-Staff at Waterloo
Keywords
Tear vial