Decorated with bold geometry, this unusual vessel was probably used to serve beer at the height of the Phoenician empire. Beer, first invented in Mesopotamia, was a popular drink throughout the ancient world. Because it was fermented, it was often deemed safer to drink than water. Even children drank this weakened brew on a regular basis. A vessel such as this would have been used for serving beer from vats; the strainer filtering off impurities. In the presence of such an artifact, we are connected in an intimate way with the vanished world of the past. We can imagine those who gripped this vessel by its handle and poured, and those whose cups were filled from the spout. Such a vessel invites the imagination to take flight, to bring the ancient world to life. - (PF.2221)

Antiquities
Ancient Unknown