Storage jar with eight handles

Large jars, like this one, were used to store and transport a number of substances, including wine and oil. Produced in the Persian Gulf region, the jars were shipped as far away as East Africa and Asia. The jar's decoration is simple and functional: each of the handles has a stud that was used to tie down a lid, which is now lost. Applied decoration in the form of twisted ropes and circles further enhances the appeal of this earthenware jar, which is covered with a thick turquoise glaze. It is difficult to date monumental storage jars, as they were made during the latter part of the Sasanian period (224-651) and into the early Islamic period. The finest earliest examples, like this one, feature loop handles, contoured bodies, lid attachments, and thick glazes.