Common among the buff ware bowls that depict human figures are those holding drinking vessels. In this case, a man wearing a green tunic under a multi-colored, skirt-like garment holds a fluted goblet in his right hand. The imagery on these bowls is thought to derive from metalwork of the Sasanian period (3rd to 7th century) in Iran. The distinctive yellow and green glazes of the buff ware group are particularly well-preserved on this example.