Collections: Egyptian, Classical, and Ancient Middle Eastern Art: Hes Vase with Cover

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Hes Vase with Cover

Vessels used in purification rites are commonly found in ancient Egyptian tombs. As texts and vignettes indicate, the Egyptians believed that the deceased needed to be in a ritually pure state in order to move about in the hereafter.

This vessel is in the shape of the hieroglyph hes, which can mean either "a favored one," a common epithet for the dead, or "repulse" and "turn away." The vessel itself thus functioned magically to protect its owner. A number of similar vessels were found in the tomb of Tutankhamun.

• Medium: Faience
• Place Made: Thebes, Egypt
• Dates: ca. 1350-1295 B.C.E.
• Dynasty: late XVIII Dynasty
• Period: New Kingdom
• Dimensions: 8 1/16 x Diam. 2 3/16 in. (20.5 x 5.6 cm)
• Collections: Egyptian, Classical, and Ancient Middle Eastern Art
• Museum Location: This item is on view in Egypt Reborn: Art for Eternity, Temples and Tombs, Martha A. and Robert S. Rubin Gallery, 3rd Floor
• Accession Number: 48.55a-b
• Credit Line: Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
• Image: Overall, 48.55a-b_SL1.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph
Hes Vase with Cover, ca. 1350-1295 B.C.E. Faience, 8 1/16 x Diam. 2 3/16 in. (20.5 x 5.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 48.55a-b (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 48.55a-b_SL1.jpg)