Ancient Egypt, Predynastic Period, early Naqada II, ca. 3500 to 3400 BCE. A beautiful coil-formed redware pottery bowl exhibiting a nearly conical body with a rounded but stable base. The interior and exterior are burnished and lustrous, the surface slipped in a russet-hue. The upper black-hued portion of the rim and interior 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: 5.125" Diameter x 3.25" H (13 cm x 8.3 cm)

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.

For a similar example please see the British Museum's website, museum number: EA30958.

Provenance: private East Coast collection, New York, New York, USA, acquired before 2010

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#170788

Minor surface wear and abrasions, especially on exterior base, otherwise intact and great condition. Wonderful remains of black and red coloration.