c. 4000–3400 BCs
Nile silt pottery
Diameter: 18.1 cm (7 1/8 in.); Diameter of mouth: 13.7 cm (5 3/8 in.); Overall: 6.7 cm (2 5/8 in.)
Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust 1920.2008
Red polished vessels with white painted decoration (known as white-cross lined ware or C-ware) represent Egypt’s oldest known tradition in painted pottery. The decoration on this bowl features the sun on the side and a turtle on the bottom of the vessel. The turtle was considered the enemy of the sun god because it preferred the murky river bottom to the sunlight.
The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email [email protected].
To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.
All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.