The odd shape of this shapely jug is owed to its use as an old wine strainer of Israelite/Judean origin. The jug sports a large funnel that rises up and out from the widest section of its base where a series of holes would have served as a simple strainer.
This ceramic jug dates from approximately 900 B.C.E. – 800 B.C.E., when wine making itself was still a rudimentary process that required additional straining before imbibing. This piece speaks to an ancient time when people lived with such simple and ingenious technologies amid the bitter reality of a harsh history