egypt-museum:

Figurine of a Woman Making Beer 

This statuette is presented in the act of making beer, kneading dough in a strainer over a large jar. This female is shown half nude and wearing only a long white kilt. She wears a wig over her natural hair, which is visible on her forehead. Around her neck is a large multicolored faience necklace.

She has an expressive face, and looks almost as if she is speaking to someone standing in front of her. The beer was prepared in a big jar using fermented barley bread sprayed with date liquor. When fermented, the beer would flow from a hole near the base of the jar.

Painted limestone, from Giza. Old Kingdom, 5th Dynasty, ca. 2494-2345 BC. Now in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo. JE 66624