Fenestrated Stand with Three Bowls and Sculpted Motifs

Fenestrated Stand with Three Bowls and Sculpted Motifs
Clay
H. 103 cm; W. 36 cm
Peqi’in, 4500–3600 BCE
Israel Antiquities Authority: 2005-811, exhibited at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem
Photography by Elie Posner © The Israel Museum, Jerusalem

Fenestrated chalices or stands, such as this example, were used in the Southern Levant since the Neolithic period (10,000–4500 BCE), but their production reached its peak during the Copper Age. They are often, but not exclusively, found in funerary contexts, and scholars have traditionally interpreted them as part of the deceased’s grave goods. Though their function is mostly unknown, they are often referred to as incense burners.