Description:

Egypt, Nagada II (Pre-Dynastic) (also known as Naqada), ca. 3500-3200 BCE. This painted pot, made of Nile siltware, has the characteristic zigzag pattern of the pre-Dynastic Nagada II period in a dark red. This piece is very similar to one held at the Brooklyn Museum. This pot probably would have been hung suspended from the small holes in the handles. The Nagada II period was named by William Flinders Petrie after his excavation of the Nagada site on the West Bank of the Nile near Giza. One of the most interesting features of this pot is its zigzagging line decoration: writing first appeared in Egypt around the end of the Nagada II period (3200 BCE) and, although many scholars attribute its arrival in the area to influence from Asia, they also recognize that the zigzag lines on pots such as this one were proto-heiroglyphics. The "ripple of water" is one of the oldest Egyptian heiroglyphs and is used in a cartouche from the First Dynasty (ca. 3100 BCE). This heiroglyph represents the letter "N" and the preposition "in", and is used on the Rosetta Stone (196 BCE) 203 times. Size: the pot is 4-1/2" tall, and 3" in diameter. Provenance: Ex-private G. McDonald collection All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. #109886

  • Condition: Expected patina and wear, but with very clear artwork and handles perfectly intact. There is some dirt caked into the tiny holes that would have originally been fully open in the handles. There is some very minor chipping to the rim.

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October 22, 2015 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $25,000