Ancient Near East, Northwestern Iran, Amlash, ca. mid-3rd millennium BCE. A hand-built grayware pottery vessel of tall form exhibiting stone-burnished surfaces, a spherical body, a shoulder adorned with hundreds of pecked marks, a pair of rings around the gently corseted neck, and a flared spout. A petite handle arches off the verso of the neck. Amlash vessels were buried in large megalithic tombs, built by part of the Marlik culture. Despite its proximity to the large Mesopotamian cultures, the geographical barrier of the high Zagros and Elburz Mountains kept it relatively isolated and a very unique ceramic tradition developed there. This is an elegant example of a grave good that, based on how few graves have been found in the Amlash assemblage, seems to have been reserved only for high status individuals. Size: 10.1" Diameter x 11.5" H (25.7 cm x 29.2 cm)
This piece has been tested using thermoluminescence (TL) analysis and has been found to be ancient and of the period stated. A full printed and bound report will accompany the item upon purchase.
Provenance: Private Greenwood Village, Colorado, USA collection, via inheritance; Leota Furlong Agett Persian Pottery collection, acquired in Tehran, Iran in the early 1960s
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#181305
Condition
Professional restoration to small areas of spout rim, with resurfacing and lighter overpainting along new material and break lines. Light fading to surface color, with minor abrasions, otherwise in excellent condition. Great preservation given the size! Previous information label beneath base. TL drill holes beneath base and handle.