Ancient Egyptian Faience Vessel

Faience was a glazed ceramic which was a very highly valued material believed to have originated in Sumeria but was refined in Ancient Egypt. It was used to create a variety of objects such as amulets, statues and vessels, and even for the tile’s walls in the tomb of Tutankhamun. Faience glimmers in the light and was believed by the Egyptians to represent rebirth and immortality. During the Predynastic period only green and blue faience occurred. However, from the Old Kingdom onwards alternative colours such as black, yellow and red were added to the palette. Poppy or cornflower symbolism often appear in association with healing, the removal of pain and death. The poppy was also associated with the Egyptian god Osiris, who was the god of agriculture as well as death and the afterlife. Both flowers were commonly found across Egypt, but especially around the Nile. Poppies also carried associations with rebirth and resilience due to the hardy nature of the plant.