The predynastic Naqada period of ancient Egypt (circa 4000-3100 BCE) saw the advent of production of high quality stone vessels and from this time until the end of the Old Kingdom (circa 2100 BCE) large numbers of stone vessels of an incredible range of material, colour and splendour were produced by craftsmen. The most expensive vessels would have been those made of hard stone such as basalt, diorite and porphyry as these were exceptionally hard to carve by hand and without metal tools.

Stone vessel production in Egypt continued until the Roman period but the used of hard stone diminished dramatically by the end of the Old Kingdom, with fine quality alabaster becoming more usual, as seen in this alabaster alabastron. For further discussion of early Egyptian stone vessels, see El-Khouli, A., Egyptian Stone Vessels: Predynastic Period to Dynasty III, typology and analysis, 1978.