A red pottery jar

A red pottery jar from which beer or wine
was served. It is decorated on the neck with a
blue band on which are painted zig-zag lines of
red and black representing water and on the
upper half of the body with bands of lotus, mandrake,
and poppy petals and bunches of grapes;
these are outlined in black and painted in blue
and red on buff. The undecorated parts of the
jar are covered with a burnished red hematite
slip. Serving jars were often garlanded with real
flowers and greenery at banquets to keep their
contents cool and fresh; painted decoration
representing garlands is characteristic of the late
XVIII Dynasty. This jar is exceptional both for
its size (27 in. high) and perfect state of preservation.
Probably from el (Amarneh. About 1365 B.C.
Dick Fund, I955. Acc. no. 55.92.2.