Huge Egyptian Predynastic Blacktop Jar, TL Tested

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Exceptional Antiquities, Asian, Ethnographic

By Artemis Gallery

Oct 8, 2020

Set Reminder 2020-10-08 10:00:00 2020-10-08 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Exceptional Antiquities, Asian, Ethnographic https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/exceptional-antiquities-asian-ethnographic-5796
Museum-worthy examples of Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Near Eastern, Far East / Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal,Oceanic, Native American, Spanish Colonial, Russian, Fossils, Ancient Jewelry, Fine Art, so much more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com

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• Lot Description
  Ancient Egypt, Predynastic Period, early Naqada II, ca. 3500 to 3400 BCE. A coil-formed redware pottery jar of an outstanding size exhibiting an inverted piriform body with a flat base, a carinated midsection that tapers for form the sloped shoulder, and a thin rim surrounding the cavernous basin. The upper black-hued portion of the rim 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-topped vessels originally rose to popularity during the early Naqada I, a culture which inhabited ancient Egypt during its pre-dynastic period. The Naqada 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. Size: 9.5" Diameter x 13.1" H (24.1 cm x 33.3 cm); 13.875" H (35.2 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.
  
  Cf. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession numbers 36.1.4 and 99.4.75
  
  A similar example of a slightly smaller size hammered for GBP 12,500 ($16,731.69) at Christie's, London, South Kensington "Antiquities" auction (sale 7207, October 25, 2012, lot 31)
  
  This piece has been tested using thermoluminescence (TL) analysis and has been found to be ancient and of the period stated. A full report will accompany purchase.
  
  Provenance: ex-private Beverly Hills, California, USA collection; ex-private London, UK collection; ex-private Dutch collection, acquired in the 1980s
  
  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.
  
  #156409

  Condition

  Repairs to areas of upper shoulder and rim, with a couple of lengthy but stable hairline fissures stemming from breaks, and resurfacing with very light adhesive residue along break lines. Abrasions and some pitting to exterior surfaces, with light fading to areas of red and black pigment, and light encrustations. Great remains of pigment across exterior surfaces. TL drill holes on base, just above base on lower body, and within basin along walls.
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