Water Jug with African Head

Head-shaped vessels, which preserve figures with various hairstyles and facial features, speak to the diversity of antiquity. These vessels likely held water or wine and were used for dining. This jug may have been made in Alexandria, Egypt, one of the ancient Mediterranean’s largest urban centers. Historically, interpretations of these works have focused on identifying racial differences between Black Africans and others. However, modern conceptions of race did not exist in antiquity, and skin color was not a factor in the creation and enforcement of social hierarchies.