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Ancient Egypt Vessel in veined green diorite

$9,412.88

£6,969.77

€8,000VAT Included

CA$13,110.81

A$13,338.55

CHF 7,644.32

MX$160,604.46

NOK 89,348.03

SEK 89,740.15

DKK 61,003.33

About the Item

Provenance - Galerie Harmakhis, Brussels, Belgium. - R. C. Collection (1924 - 2023), Brussels, Belgium. Documents - Attached is a study on the antiquity of the piece issued by an Egyptologist. A vessel carved entirely from a single block of green diorite, richly veined in shades of white, gray, black, and orange. Flattened, globular in shape, it features a flat circular base, from which the walls fan out diagonally, forming a gentle curve that is accentuated at the shoulders, closing to form a wide, open mouth with a flat, mitered profile. The vessel's walls are relatively thin for a hard stone vessel: the interior shape follows the exterior profile, narrowing noticeably at the mouth. Dating to the early Thynite period, between the 1st and 2nd Dynasties, around 3000 BC, this is a luxury object, made of a precious material both for its beauty and scarcity, and for its hardness, which makes it particularly difficult to work. During the Predynastic Period (circa 5400–3000 BC), before the establishment of the first dynasties, several independent kingdoms—with different deities and symbols, but sharing basic hieroglyphics and a belief in the afterlife—developed in southern and northern Egypt. Through their burials—circular deposits placed directly in the sand with the body in direct contact, thus allowing preservation by desiccation—their most characteristic creations have survived, accompanying the deceased as funerary trousseau. The most numerous are burnished red pottery vessels in various cylindrical and globular shapes, geometric palettes or palettes with animal profiles for mixing cosmetics, stone mace heads and ritual knives, as well as items of jewelry. And, on rare occasions, these ceramic vessels were also found carved in stone. Stone vessels were considered luxury items, and as such, they have been found almost exclusively in royal tombs. Chronologically, they appear at the beginning of the third millennium BC, and are most common at the end of the Second Dynasty; the art of stone vessel carving reached its peak as far back as the Early Dynastic Period and the Old Kingdom. Some examples are engraved with the names of early pharaohs, such as Narmer. Others are unique, having been carved in animal forms, such as frogs or birds. In any case, they are excellent pieces due to their artistic refinement and virtuosity of execution. On a visual level, they are extraordinary for their formal perfection, which combines balanced, subtly curved, and exquisitely proportioned lines with the expressive veining of the stones used, such as breccia or porphyritic diorite. It is interesting to note that the ancient Egyptians were making stone vessels long before they created stone statues. This observation is reinforced by the fact that the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic word for "stone carver" uses the image of the tool used by these early artisans to create stone vessels. Such vessels are generally found in tombs, given their purpose of ensuring the eternal permanence of the deceased's ka (spirit) in the afterlife; this concept of the spirit's immortality would be linked to stone precisely because it was the most durable material used by the ancient Egyptians. Excavations of Pharaoh Djoser's Step Pyramid at Saqqara yielded nearly 40,000 stone objects, most of which were vessels. In addition to ensuring the soul's permanence in the afterlife, stone vessels were primarily used to contain food, ointments, and cosmetic oils. Their thick, impermeable walls allowed for good preservation of the products. They had many uses in everyday life, but they also played a prominent role in religious activities: offerings in temples, daily anointing of statues and cult objects, and, in the funerary world, for the preparation of mummies, as well as in the belief in the rejuvenating and regenerative effects of these substances. Therefore, it is not surprising that a large number of stone vessels were regularly deposited in tombs and funerary complexes.

Dimensions:
Height: 3.94 in (10 cm)Diameter: 6.15 in (15.6 cm)
Style:
Egyptian (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Stone,Carved,Hand-Carved
Period:
15th Century and Earlier
Date of Manufacture:
Beginnings Tinite Period, 3050 - 2900 B.C.
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Good state of preservation.
Seller Location:
BARCELONA, ES
Reference Number:
Seller: 220036661stDibs: LU10999250354912

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