Cylinder vase

The burial gifts of the ancient Egyptians generally included pots, vases and bowls made of pottery and stone, since food and drink were of vital importance to sustaining existence after death. This cylinder vase is an example from a grave dating from the early dynastic period. A painting depicting a string net has been applied in red lines to the tall, slender vase. One of the features of vases of this type is that the handles acquired a purely decorative function and were reduced to small, wavy indentations. Cylinder vases of this kind were used to store fat and oil.