Libation Dish Depicting Ka-Arms Presenting an Ankh-Sign

Art Historical Context

Hailing from Egypt's Early Dynastic Period (ca. 3100–2900 B.C.), during Dynasty 1, this libation dish exemplifies the dawn of pharaonic civilization, a time when unified kingdoms formalized rituals and iconography. Crafted fromywacke—a durable, shadowy grey stone prized for its fine grain and prestige—this shallow vessel (14.5 x 3.5 x 17.6 cm) was designed for pouring offerings of water, milk, or wine in temple or funerary rites, the eternal sustenance of gods or the deceased. At its center, stylized ka-arms—elongated limbs symbolizing the ka, the vital life force—extend reverently to present...