The smooth contours and elegant simplicity of this vessel are as pleasing to the modern eye as they no doubt were to the ancient one. Such a vessel may have held oils or balms in the time of the biblical patriarchs. In the Old Testament, it describes how Abraham anointed Isaac with oil in preparation for sacrifice. He might have used a vessel similar to this one. As we hold it in our hands today, we are aware of the touch of other hands long ago. Across the ages, we are connected in an intimate way with that vanished world.