Nabatean, or Nabataean, pottery and coroplastic production, recovered since the very first organised archaeological excavations of Petra in Jordan, attest the great skills of Nabatean craftsmen. Since the 1st century BC, the Nabateans developed a specific and characteristic style in their pottery production, without any reference to the Hellenistic artistic tradition. Nabatean pottery is characterised by bright red terracotta, fine modelling, painted decoration and displays a smooth and matte finish. Many different shapes have been recovered, including huge jars, pots, flacons for storage of perfumes and ointments and bowls. Open bowls, such as this beautiful example, were the most painted forms. The hand-painted decoration usually includes dark brown and light red motifs of flowers, leafs and palmettes. Another interesting and most recognisable aspect of Nabatean terracotta wares is the thinness of the vessels’ walls, known as egg-shell vessels. Such vessels, featuring a thickness of 1-3 mm and a metallic hardness, were mostly shallow open bowls, extremely difficult to be potted on the potter’s wheel. With the Roman conquest of the area around 150 AD, Nabatean pottery production started losing its thinness and polychrome decoration, becoming more crude and simple.
Nabataean Decorated Red Pottery Dish
£ 495.00
A finely modelled Nabataean terracotta bowl featuring a shallow, conical body with a folded, inverted rim. The luminescent orange interior of the vessel is enriched with geometric decorations painted in dark, almost black pigment. This embellishment comprises of two intersecting lines of scrolls that divide the field into quarters, each filled with small swirl motifs. The exterior is undecorated except for a cream, horizontal band encompassing the rim and is in remarkably fine condition with negligible scratching or chipping. The reverse displays grooved spiral marks from where the clay was carefully moulded during production. The bowl sits upon a slightly raised ring foot.
Provenance: From an important collection of terracotta formed pre 1988 in London and Geneva.
Condition: Very fine condition with minor fading to the interior design.
In stock
| Weight | 96.2 g |
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| Dimensions | W 12.6 cm |
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