Vessels of this sort, which were extreemy popular during the Roman Imperial Priod, have a squat broad-sholdered body, a neck of narrower diameter, a flaring lip, and strap handles. Although their decorative schemes do vary, the fluted

decoration and handels of theis vessel set it apart from others of this type. This decoration may be an imitaion of spiral flutes found on vessels made of glass, stone an d metal. A prototype in metal seems the most likely because of the human headed protome

masking the join of the handle to the body of the vase, which has a long tradition in metalware.

This vessle represents a wickerwork basket with a conical lid. A number of examples in faience have survived, severalcoming from Kerma, though the best parallel is a cartonnage example from Deirel-Medina. They show a

treatment from very natualistic- with a carefully ribbed outer surface- to more abstract renderings of the overall shape as here. Perhaps the product os a provincial workshop, this vessel is inscribed to the god shown on the right: Thoth, Lord Hermopolis,

may he give goodness and life to the ka of the scribe of harbor, Hori," the owner of theis vessel, shown standing to the left. the diagonally divided squares and zigzag motifs are also common decorative divices of this period.

bodies. The fish are balanced by depictions of three blue lotuses (Nymphaea caerulea). The design and draftsmanship of this compostion are among the best created in ancient Egypt.