Cypriote ring based juglet

New Kingdom
ca. 1500–1400 B.C.
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 114
Containers such as this were first imported into Egypt in the early 18th Dynasty and are often found in modest burials. The shape of some, such as this one, seem to be modeled after the inverted seedpod of the poppy (Papaver somniferum), cut to release its sap. This suggests that the jars once held opium, which is made from the sap. Opium is a powerful sedative that can be used not only as a painkiller but also in the treatment of diarrhea, dysentery, fever, and similar complaints.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Cypriote ring based juglet
  • Period: New Kingdom
  • Dynasty: Dynasty 18
  • Date: ca. 1500–1400 B.C.
  • Geography: From Egypt, Upper Egypt, Thebes, Asasif, Tomb CC 37, Chamber B, Burial 78, Carnarvon/Carter excavations
  • Medium: Pottery, black ware
  • Dimensions: H. 13.7 (5 3/8 in); diam. 6.5 cm (2 9/16 in)
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1912
  • Object Number: 12.181.264
  • Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

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