Categories
Egyptian Artifacts

Predynastic Pottery Vessel

TodayΒ π“‡π“‡‹π“ˆ–π“‡³, we are going to travel all the way back to predynastic Egypt (c. 3500-3300 B.C.E.)!

This type of vaseΒ π“ π“ˆ–π“‡‹π“‹, known by scholars as β€œpottery vessels” are very characteristic of early Egyptian art. There are many different examples of these, and many have been found in EgyptΒ π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š–. There is a very similar one to this in the British Museum, and many other examples at the MET! The significance of these vasesΒ π“ π“ˆ–π“‡‹π“‹π“ͺΒ is still debated because Egyptologists don’t exactly know why they were made or what they were used for! These predynastic vasesΒ π“ π“ˆ–π“‡‹π“‹π“ͺΒ are so adored that many fakes have even popped up!Β 

In the image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 above, there seem to be animals such as antelopes 𓃲𓃲𓃲 and flamingoes π“‚§π“ˆ™π“‚‹π“…Ÿπ“ͺ standing amongst groups of triangles. These triangles most likely represent landscape features such as hills π“ˆŽπ“„Ώπ“„Ώπ“ŠŽπ“ͺ or mountains π“ˆ‹π“…³.Β 

In the image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 above, a womanΒ π“Šƒπ“π“‚‘π“π“Β (left) and a manΒ π“Šƒπ“€€π“€(right) are standing on a boat 𓂧π“Šͺπ“π“Šž. Above the boat 𓂧π“Šͺπ“π“Šž, the hills π“ˆŽπ“„Ώπ“„Ώπ“ŠŽπ“ͺ/mountains π“ˆ‹π“…³ are once again depicted. Below the boat 𓂧π“Šͺπ“π“Šž, it looks like plants 𓆾𓆰𓆰𓆰 are being shown! To me, the plants 𓆾𓆰𓆰𓆰 look like ferns (that is my interpretation).Β 

As a kid π“π“‡Œπ“€•, I really liked this vase π“ π“ˆ–𓇋𓏋 because the groups of animals reminded me of the β€œCircle of Life” from The Lion King! To me (both as a kid π“π“‡Œπ“€• and even now as an adult), the scenes on this pottery vessel π“ π“ˆ–𓇋𓏋 look just like the movie!