Offering Basin
ca. 2345–2195 B.C.E.
1 of 6
Object Label
Objects like this were called “basins for libations.” Priests used them in tombs to receive poured offerings for the deceased, such as water, beer, or milk. The basin was sunk flush with the floor inside the tomb. According to some Egyptologists, the basin could be interpreted metaphorically as a tree-shaded pool where the deceased could row or relax.
Caption
Offering Basin, ca. 2345–2195 B.C.E.. Limestone, 5 1/8 x 10 1/2 x 15 5/8 in. (13 x 26.7 x 39.7 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 37.1493E. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
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