Ancient Egypt, Predynastic Period, late Naqada II to early Naqada III, ca. 3200 BCE. A lovely and large hand-built pottery vessel of an acorn-shaped form, a rounded shoulder, a deep interior cavity, and a smooth rim, all atop a petite circular base. The recessed groove along the shoulder was used to suspend the jar with a thick cord. The upper body is decorated with five quartets of red-painted vertical stripes atop a yellow-orange ground, and the rim and lower body is unadorned. A fine example from this very early age in Egyptian history! Size: 5" W x 5.2" H (12.7 cm x 13.2 cm).

Although there is very little evidence pertaining to kilns that would lead to a better understanding of firing techniques from the Naqada II period, an interesting article written by Masahiro Baba analyzes the pottery produced at Hierakonpolis to propose a reconstruction of these techniques. Find this article entitled, "Pottery production at Hierakonpolis during the Naqada II period: Toward a reconstruction of the firing technique," British Museum Studies in Ancient Egypt and Sudan 13 (2009): 1-23 at https://www.britishmuseum.org/pdf/Baba.pdf.

For a stylistically-similar example, please see The British Museum, museum number EA30888: https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=148980&partId=1&matcult=15770&sortBy=producerSort&page=1

Another stylistically-similar example of a slightly-larger size hammered for $4,375 at Christie's, New York Antiquities auction (sale 2605, December 5, 2012, lot 103): https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/ancient-art-antiquities/an-egyptian-pottery-jar-predynastic-period-naqada-5627905-details.aspx?from=searchresults&intObjectID=5627905&sid=c62aae89-ac04-4103-83db-df81bdd09305

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-Dr. Sid Port collection, California, USA, acquired in the 1980s

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#146192

Small chips and minor abrasions to rim and body, with fading to original pigmentation, otherwise intact and excellent. Light earthen deposits throughout.