Spiral designs on an imitating stone

Imitating stone. Vessels laboriously carved from hard stone were very expensive, and held oils and ointments that were probably even more valuable. An imitation could magically supply both the container and its contents for the afterlife. Here, the pot's spiral decoration mimics the limestone breccia of the jar. The wavy lines painted on the handles evoke the shimmer of gold foil, which was added to the most lavish stone containers.