RARE MINOAN OR MYCENEAN ALABASTER DUCK-SHAPED COSMETIC PALETTE Ca. 1600 BC. An alabaster palette carved in the form of a stylised duck, with a rounded, hollowed interior and an arched neck curving forward into a simplified head with a gently pointed beak. The base is smooth and subtly convex. The surface shows natural veining with creamy and amber tones. For similar see: D. Panagiotopulos, Material versus Design: A Transcultural Approach to the Two Contrasting Properties of Things, 2007, fig. 6. Size: 43.6mm x 30mm; Weight: 22.8g Provenance: Private UK collection; acquired on the French market in the 1980s. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter.