Ancient Egyptian Granodiorite Bowl
$5,018.80
An elegant Ancient Egyptian granodiorite bowl. The bowl has a small flat circular base, a wide curved body, and a lip that curls inward creating a small internal ledge. The granadorite has a beautiful dappled composition, with hues of black and greenish grey producing a blurred appearence. There are small seams of white in some areas and a transluscent quality to the stone, especially towards the rim. At the base of the interior, a thin circular ring depression creates a central focus.
Date: Circa 3rd Millenium BC, 2860-2640 BC
Period: 2nd-3rd Dynasty, Old Kingdom Period
Provenance: Acquired 2023, ex London private collector, A. Seippel. Previously aqcuired from Rupert Wace Ancient Art, 1998.
Condition: Very Good Condition. Modern restoration efforts means that fine join seams are still visible. There are a number of areas where a composite filler has been used to replace missing fragments, allowing the original form of the vessel to be preserved. This material has been painted to match the details of the granodiorite. There is one small chip on the interior of the rim.
In stock
Granodiorite is an igneous rock, utilised by the Ancient Egyptians for a wide variety of purposes. It appears in large scale architectural details such as pavements, wall veneers, and lintels, as well as smaller items of personal use such as vessels. The Rosetta Stone is an example of a granodiorite artefact widely known of. Granodiorite has a similar composition to granite but contains more dark minerals creating an overall darker colour. Both stones are very durable, more so than marble, and so were well suited to all of these uses.
Granodiorite was quarried along the Nile at Aswan, as well as Mons Claudianus near the Red Sea to the East of Egypt. The height of quarrying was from the 1st – mid 3rd century AD.
