Museum Pieces - "New Year's" bottle

Medium:

Faience (glazed composition)

Type:

Faience, Vessel

Origin:

Egypt

Topic:

new year, Late Period (664 - 332 B.C.E.), Egypt

Credit Line:

Gift of Charles Lang Freer

Date:

664-332 B.C.E.

Period:

Late Period

Accession Number:

F1907.11

Data Source:

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery

Flasks of this type are known as "New Year" gifts because of the inscriptions they often bear, which invoke the gods of the city of Memphis to give the owner all life and health, and a happy New Year. Almost invariably made of a fine light blue or pale green glazed faience, the flasks are usually decorated with garlands around the neck and have an ape of the god Thoth, recorder of time, seated on each side of the neck.

Sources: 

http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/edan/object.cfm?q=fsg_F1907.11

http://www.asia.si.edu/collections/singleObject.cfm?ObjectNumber=F1907.11