Model faience hes-vase of Amenhotep II

From the tomb of Amenhotep II, Valley of the Kings, Thebes, Egypt
18th Dynasty, about 1427-1400 BC

A liquid offering to a god

Hes-vases were regularly used in ancient Egyptian rituals for the pouring of libations (a liquid offering to a god), often on behalf of the dead. It was seen as important to maintain these rituals throughout eternity, and so models of the offering vessels were created for placing in the tomb. These models are often distinguished from the authentic vessels by their small size and by the material of which they are made. Faience was commonly used, and numerous faience vessels were included among the burial equipment of the pharaohs of the New Kingdom (1550-1070 BC).

This hes-vase is a typical example, and is inscribed in paint with the names and titles of king Amenhotep II (1427-1400 BC), from whose sepulchre it probably comes.