Globular Jar

Product Description

Such jars are largely documented all throughout the Near Eastern world. Our example is in the shape of a drop; the regular, rounded profile of the body is only interrupted in the upper part by a sharp, thick ridge on the neck. The circular mouth is delineated by a flat, angular lip.

The capacity of the vessel is less important as might have been expected, since its interior is a simple cylindrical tube that does not follow the curvature of the outer profile: this jar would have therefore been intended to store a liquid product or an ointment, which would have served as cosmetic or during rituals. The lid, which would have been made of clay or of a perishable material, could be attached under the lip, by tightening a string perhaps.

The carver certainly used a rotating technique, probably employing some sort of lathe: the vessel was hollowed out using a bow drill and polished with sand or a harder stone.

Stone was largely used in ancient times for the manufacture of containers of various shapes and sizes: stone vases, considered as luxury goods, were used in everyday life, but were also found in the tombs of high-ranking individuals and in the treasures of sanctuaries. The ancient iconography of the Egyptian funerary paintings seems to indicate that the stone carvers started by stabilizing the vase in a hole in the ground or on a worktable. Then they sculpted and polished the exterior before hollowing out the interior with a drill.

Additional information