Jar with the name of Xerxes the Great in four languages

AI image analysis claude-haiku-4-5

Machine-generated from the object's image on May 2026. Not curatorial; treat deities, names, and signs below as the model's best reading, not authority.

A travertine jar with a wide bulbous body, narrow neck, and flared rim, featuring what appears to be a single cartouche with hieroglyphic inscription on the front face.

This is a finely crafted vessel carved from pale travertine (Egyptian alabaster), displaying the characteristic warm cream-to-tan coloration typical of this stone. The form is a classic storage or funerary jar with a broad, rounded bulbous body that tapers toward a relatively narrow neck with a flared, slightly everted rim. Two small lugs or handles are positioned on either side of the body. The surface exhibits the polished finish characteristic of high-quality alabaster work. A prominent cartouche containing hieroglyphic inscription is carved in shallow relief on the front of the vessel, positioned in the upper-middle section of the body. The overall workmanship appears refined, consistent with Late Period or Achaemenid-period Egyptian craft traditions.