Egyptian Pre-Dynastic Breccia Jar w/ Lugged Handles

Egypt, Pre-Dynastic, Naqada III period, ca. 3200 to 3000 BCE. A heavy, bulbous jar with a variegated surface of smooth and rough stone, known as breccia. Two cylindrical, lugged handles project from either side, drilled through with narrow, round perforations, presumably for hanging. A wide, flat rim encircles the mouth. The exterior has been polished to be generally smooth, but the exposed interior gives a better understanding of the rough material that the artisans had to work. Size: 8.25" W x 5.25" H (21 cm x 13.3 cm)

In addition to being quite striking, this jar represents a technological leap forward for the ancient Egyptians. In the early Pre-Dynastic period, artisans hollowed out hard stone vessels using hand-held stone borers and abrasive desert sand. Then, during the Naqada II period (ca. 3600 to 3200 BCE), the invention of copper tubes used to drill very hard stones (in conjunction with sand as an abrasive), allowed people to drill finer forms - like, for example, these lugged handles. However, copper drills only allowed artisans to drill cylindrical items, and so the hollowing out of bulbous vessels like this one still required use of an elongated stone borer in the form of a figure-of-eight to get under the shoulder. Imagine the hours of work that went into making this single jar!

A smaller breccia vessel with lugged handles sold at Christie's New York on June 4, 2008 (Lot 1) for USD $27,500.

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-private Long Island, New York, USA collection, 1979

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#149972
Condition Report: A few small surface chips and nicks but overall in remarkable condition.