Sale 213 Lot 234

Ancient Iraqi (Mesopotamian) pottery vessel This ancient Iraqi (Mesopotamian) pottery vessel is a spouted libation jar or votive pitcher, a form that has been a staple of the region's ceramic tradition since the Sumerian Early Dynastic period (c. 2900–2350 BCE). Characterized by its globular body and a distinct, often long or "bridge" spout, these vessels were designed for the ritual pouring of liquids like wine, beer, or water during religious ceremonies and funerary banquets. In Mesopotamian culture, the spout served the practical purpose of straining dregs from the liquid, while the vessel's presence in elite graves suggests its importance in providing "refreshment" for the deceased in the afterlife. While early versions were often plain, unglazed earthenware made of buff-colored clay, later examples from the Iron Age or Parthian period might feature incised geometric patterns or stylized animal motifs that reflect the long-standing artistic heritage of the Tigris-Euphrates valley.



Dimensions:8 x 9 x 13 in. (20.3 x 33 x 33 cm.)
$600-800

PROVENANCE: Present lot was acquired by Bennett Schiff (1920-2014), a member of the U.S. Foreign Service who served as press attaché in Nicosia, Cyprus, and Tehran from 1962 until 1967.He moved to Washington, DC,in 1967 to work as a consultant to the Peace Corps, the Office of Economic Opportunity, the Ford Foundation, the Inter-American Foundation, and the Department of Health, Education and Welfare.