This piece is a fine example of Bactrian craftsmanship from the Hellenistic period. It forms part of the long and rich tradition of stonework and inlay that flourished in this remote region of Western Asia as early as the Early Bronze Age.
The body, which has a flat, circular base but does not ensure the vessel is well balanced, is hemispherical in shape: it has been carved with great precision. The lid, with its domed profile, depicts the body of a bird in a simple, stylised manner: it features a central, triangular knob and a small side handle, which correspond respectively to the bird’s head and tail.
This vessel, the size of which makes it one of the largest examples currently known, attracts the eye of the modern viewer with its formal and decorative simplicity. It belongs to a group of well-attested ceramics in the so-called Chalcolithic period (the period that precedes the widespread use of metals, particularly copper and, later, bronze), on the sites of modern-day northern Iran.
This Western Asian Large Ceramic Bowl with painted animals is made of beige ceramic covered with a red slip; the shape is simple, trunconical and without handles; the flat circular base provides the bowl a good balance.
A large dark brown-black terracotta vessel, certainly fired in a reducing atmosphere. It is equipped with a small handle and with a long gutter-shaped spout.