Metropolitan Museum of Art — Egyptian Art (Open Access) · vessel

Large Sealed Storage Jar

Source of record: Metropolitan Museum of Art — Egyptian Art (Open Access) — catalogued by the holding institution. View the original record →

Description

Travertine (Egyptian alabaster), linen, mud

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 sealed storage jar made of travertine (Egyptian alabaster) with a bulbous body, narrow neck with a cylindrical lid, small loop handles, and a simple cartouche mark on the lid. The matching smaller round jar shown alongside appears to be the actual container, with the larger vessel serving as protective outer storage.

This assemblage consists of two travertine vessels displayed together. The larger vessel is an elegant storage jar with a characteristic New Kingdom form: a bulbous, rounded body tapering to a narrow neck, finished with a flat-topped cylindrical lid. Two small horizontal loop handles curve from the shoulder. The surface shows the translucent quality typical of high-quality Egyptian alabaster, with natural stone veining visible. A cartouche or simple mark appears incised on the lid's top surface. The vessel is supported on a modern brass stand for display purposes. Accompanying it is a smaller companion jar with a rounded, globular form and a fitted circular lid, likely containing the actual stored material. The style, material, and form are consistent with New Kingdom funerary storage vessels used in elite burials, particularly from Theban tombs. The careful craftsmanship and translucent alabaster indicate high status.

funerary New Kingdom (approximately 16th-11th century BCE) good
Materials travertine (Egyptian alabaster)linen (wrapping)mud (sealing material)
Visible text "Cartouche or mark visible on lid, content unclear from image resolution"

Cross-references (4)

  • Wikidata-Q Q116252189 tier-1
  • Collection-QID Q160236 tier-2 (wikidata-mediated)
  • Inventory-Number 36.3.82a, b tier-2 (wikidata-mediated)
  • MET-Object 543959 tier-2 (wikidata-mediated)
About this record's data
  • From the source institution — accession, description, dimensions, and dating are as catalogued by Metropolitan Museum of Art — Egyptian Art (Open Access).
  • AI-inferred — the image-analysis panel (deities, names, signs) is machine-generated and may be wrong.
  • Approximate location — most map points are plotted at the site centroid, not the exact findspot.
  • Inferred links — cross-references marked with a match method other than explicit-source-field were matched by us, not stated by the source.