Egypt, perhaps Alexandria or Fayum, Romano-Egyptian Period, ca. 1st to 2nd century CE. Of both exceeding rarity and unquestionable beauty, a hand-built faience amphora of sturdy form and bichrome presentation from Roman-controlled Egypt. The apple-shaped body rises and expands gently upwards from the discoid foot, its upper body and shoulder densely decorated with a wreath of applied leafs glazed with sky blue pigment atop the midnight blue-purple body. Resting atop the shoulder and beneath the broad rim is an unusual pair of ring handles since many faience amphorae like this have either bar-shaped handles or no handles at all. Size: 7.4" W x 7.1" H (18.8 cm x 18 cm)
Cf. another example at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 21.2.3.
A similar example with bar-shaped handles hammered for GBP 13,750 ($17,536.75) at Christie's, London "Antiquities" auction (sale 14231, December 6, 2017, lot 88)
Provenance: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, acquired May 2023; ex-private Beachwood, Ohio, USA collection; ex-Arte Primitivo, New York, New York, USA; ex-Sotheby's (sale 5288, February 8, 1985, lot 43)
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#179793
Condition
Heavily repaired with extensive restoration, with resurfacing and overpainting along new material and break lines. Chipping to body, rim, foot, and some leafs, with fading to glaze pigment in scattered areas, light earthen deposits, and a couple of stable fissures, otherwise in great condition. Wonderful preservation to original glaze color in many areas.