All four jars have an anthropomorphic lid, as it was custom in the Middle Kingdom. The faces and bodies are painted yellow, with the tripartite wig and the inscriptions enhanced with a blue-green hue. The finely carved faces have large almond shaped eyes with black pupils and cosmetic lines. The arching eyebrows are in slight relief and underlined in black. The nose is wide and straight, the lips narrow and horizontal. The ears are very large and visible before the wig.

All vases are identical except for the four incised columns of hieroglyphs. Each canopic jar is inscribed with the traditional formula and hence placed under the protection of the four sons of Horus:

Imset – protection of the liver,
Duamutef – protection of the stomach,
Hapi – protection of the lungs and
Qebehsenuef – protection of the intestines.

As an additional safeguard they were also linked with four powerful goddesses: (Isis/South, Neith/East, Nephthys/North und Serket/West)