Egypt, Early Dynastic (2950–2647 BCE), Dynasties 1–3 / 2950–2573 BCE
Squat Jar with Lug Handles
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Squat Jar with Lug Handles as vessels (Egypt, Early Dynastic (2950–2647 BCE), Dynasties 1–3 · 2950–2573 BCE).
The stone used for this vessel, a pegmatitic hornblende diorite whose white crystals contain a faint tint of pink, indicates it must have been considered a luxury item.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this vessels as pegmatitic hornblende diorite.
The museum's collection notes: A single tomb might contain hundreds of stone vessels replicating the shapes of pottery vessels used in everyday life. The most popular material for stone vessels was white or banded travertine (Egyptian alabaster), found close to the Nile, but prospectors and quarrymen often traveled far in search of the desired materials. The hard stone hornblende diorite, notable for its mottled texture, was quarried in the desert along the route to the Red Sea.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtSquat Jar with Lug HandlesOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.