Libation Dish Depicting Ka-Arms Presenting an Ankh-Sign ca. 3100–2900 B.C.
Museum Wall label ; This masterpiece of Early Dynastic stone carving has the shape of two intricately linked hieroglyphs. The two bent arms that frame three sides of the dish are read “ka,” the word for “spirit” in ancient Egyptian. The loop and knot are read “ankh,” meaning “life,” or “to live.” The combination could be interpreted as the phrase “life to thy spirit” or as the name of a person, Ankh-ka. The dish was undoubtedly used to pour a purifying liquid, probably water, that would take on the magical significance of the hieroglyphs.
Met Record.
Many of the dishes and vessels in this gallery ritual purpose this one is a libation dish priest would pour water into the circular area in the center. This allowed it to flow through the spout in the front onto the ground as an offering to the dad two other openings at the side let the water flow around the central emblem. The form of the dish reads as a 3-dimensional hieroglyphic inscription move around so you can see the sides. If you bend over and look at the outside edge of the dish, you will see that it is in the shape of a forearm. Two outstretched arms make the hieroglyphs Ka life force. Now look at the side of the dish the three-loot box depicted there is the hieroglyph ankh meaning life. The Egyptians believed that water poured over the inscription on the dish with magically absorb its meaning since ankh means life and Ka is the life force the water from this dish would contain the force of life itself it’s also possible the combination of the two hieroglyphs stands for the name of the owner ankh ka or Ka ankh meaning my life force lives a man of that name is actually known to have lived during the first dynasty which is also the date of this dish.