Egyptian, Naqada II - Dynasty II, ca. 3300 - 2649 B.C.

Alabaster

H: 14.9 cm (5.8 in) - W: 9.7 cm (3.8 in)

Serial: 26743

A flattened jar is in the form of a bag with the body expanded towards the bottom between the sharp corners. There are pierced handles on either side of the shoulder and a wide everted rim. Tiny chips are along inner and outer edge of rim and handles, the outer portion of one handle was broken and repaired.

Flattened ovoid or spherical jars were carved in various materials in the Predynastic and Early Dynastic periods in Egypt. Most, however, have curved sides and round corners in contrast to the straight sides and distinct corners of this vessel. The closest parallel was found at Gebel el-Tarif, but its bottom profile is considerably more compressed. This lovely piece is exceptional not only for the sheer beauty of the veined stone, but also for the remarkably naturalistic depiction of a real sack filled with liquid.

CONDITION

Natural cracking of stone; reattached a small fragment to rim and one of handles, extensively cleaned.

PROVENANCE

Ex- Swiss private collection, Zurich;

US private collection, acquired on the London art market in 1995.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

ASTON B.G., Ancient Egyptian Stone Vessels, Materials and Forms, in Studien zur Archäologie und Geschichte Altägypten  5, Heidelberg, p. 97, no. 18.

EL KHOULI A., Egyptian Stone Vessels, Predynastic to Dynasty III, Typology and Analysis, Mainz, 1978, p. 274, no. 5566.