Ancient Egypt, Pre-Dynastic period, Naqada I, ca. 4000 to 3600 BCE. A wonderful coil-formed Nile silt pottery vessel with a highly-burnished, russet-hued surface made with a thin iron-oxide slip. The vase has an ovoid body which tapers gently to a petite conical base, with a deep interior cavity and a rolled rim. The upper black-hued portion is comprised of thick carbon deposits formed by administering the top to thick clouds of smoke for extended periods of time in an oxygen-deprived environment. Black-top vessels originally rose in popularity during the early Naqada I, a culture which inhabited ancient Egypt during its pre-dynastic period. The N`aqada were first described by famed archaeologist William Flinders Petrie; however, relatively little is known about them except that they were focused around the site of El-Amra in central Egypt, west of the Nile River. Custom metal display stand included. Size: 12.875" H (32.7 cm); 14.625" H (37.1 cm) on included custom stand.
Pre-Dynastic Egyptian black-top vessels were traditionally made from silt deposits taken from the Nile river due to their abundance in iron and silica. After the pot had dried but before it was fired, it would first be burnished and rubbed smooth with a small stone to create the pinstripe vertical striations still visible today. An iron-rich slip would then be applied just before firing; when placed in an oxygen-rich environment, the elevated temperatures would create the vessels’ signature red-orange hue.
After the end of the Naqada III period around 3,000 BCE, the use of Nile silt in pottery creations fell out of favor with the Pre-Dynastic Egyptians. This is due to the increase in popularity of marl clay, a newly-discovered material for creating terracotta objects which was easier to shape and enabled firing at far greater temperatures than the highly-porous silt.
A similar Naqada I example hammered for GBP 12,500 ($16,652.24) at Christie's, London, South Kensington Antiquities Auction (sale 7207, October 25, 2012, lot 31): https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/ancient-art-antiquities/an-egyptian-black-topped-redware-jar-predynastic-naqada-5609465-details.aspx?from=searchresults&intObjectID=5609465&sid=d732be30-0765-484a-8b6a-5fca0623e1d9
Provenance: private Davis collection, Houston, Texas, USA; ex-Bonhams London Antiquities Auction, May 8, 2013, lot 292; ex-private Danish collection, Denmark; ex-Ellen Poulsen collection, acquired 1950; ex-Jorn Rubow collection (1908-1984), acquired around 1940. Mr. Rubow was the director of the National Gallery of Denmark between 1952 and 1978.
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#132968
Condition
Vessel repaired from several large pieces with some small losses and light adhesive residue along break lines. Surface wear and abrasions commensurate with age as expected. Fading to pigmentation, small losses to rim, body, and base, and light roughness across most surfaces. Light earthen deposits throughout and good mineral deposits within interior. Nice craquelure to exterior slip in some areas. Old inventory sticker "Property of Royal Museum, no. 4312" along inside rim.