The vase, in excellent condition, is made of marly clay, probably of type K5, characterized by visible straw inclusions. It is a ceramic container of ovoid shape, with a swollen body, full shoulder, and cylindrical neck topped by a rim with a rectangular cross-section. At the base of the neck is a molded ring molding that serves as both a decorative and structural element. The vase rests on a slightly concave cylindrical foot. Two small horizontal handles are applied symmetrically on the shoulders.
The outer surface of the vase is covered with a whitish slip that gives it a light and matte appearance. The interior, instead, shows a dark and glossy patina, probably due to the action of organic substances contained in the vessel. Traces of black residues are clearly visible on the outside, from the rim down to the upper third of the body: these are most likely oily or resinous residues, indicative of the vessel’s ritual use in embalming practices.
On the upper part of the body, a vertical hieratic inscription indicates the content of the vase and specifies its addressee. The name is written in Demotic: “The oil to anoint the head and to anoint the face of Nebetweret.”
Based on the shape, ceramic typology, and paleographic features of the inscription (which shows affinities with the hieratic and demotic signs in the Rylands Papyrus IX, dated to year 9 of Darius I, 513 BCE), the vase can be dated to the 5th century BCE, during the first Persian domination of Egypt (27th Dynasty, 525–402 BCE). The object likely belongs to the group of vessels found in “embalming caches” known from Late Period funerary contexts, particularly at Saqqara.
