Amlash Gray Ware Globular Bowl with Single Handle

The term ‘Amlash Culture’, has generally been used to designate material cultures excavated at Gilan, an archaeological site on the southern shore of the Caspian sea, and refers to a group of Iron Age pottery and metal executions with a strong visual character. Amlash pottery vessels, such as this fine example, might have been inspired by paralleled metal wares of the same period, and were used in funeral libation contexts, ritual occasions and in everyday life. Amlash pottery is distinct in its style and frequently features sharp, clean edges, and was decorated with geometric patterns and anthropomorphic or zoomorphic representations. The Amlash culture interacted with other contemporary cultures, such as the Urartians, Elamites, and Medes, fusing a myriad of styles and decorative elements.