ART 198 - HISTORY OF WORLD CERAMICS

The large, wheel thrown vessel with lid, was thrown in sections and assembled. It stands at 32" in height, and has a removable lid that would function as a drinking beaker for the wine contained within. The terra cotta clay body was covered thinly in a white slip and then painted with the oxides of manganese and cobalt, in bands of pattern and hieroglyphic text. The size and elegance of the vessel speak to the skill and aesthetics of the Egyptian potter. Pots such as this were made using a 'fast wheel,' in which the throwing surface of the wheel turned on a pivot and sustained momentum. The spinning wheel also allowed the potter to paint circular designs by banding. Footed forms such as this were made for the first time in Egypt.

Ritual Vase, 18th Dynasty Egypt Inscribed "For the Wine of Lower Egypt for the deceased Lady Nodjmet"