Black Topped Jar

Burnished red pottery jar with shiny black band around the top. “Black topped ware” is the most prominent type of hand made pottery in the Predynastic Period and typical of Naqada I and early Naqada II periods. The ware acquired its name from its most distinct visual feature: a black band at the top of the vessel which was achieved by putting the vessel upside down in a bonfire. Those areas deprived of oxygen and smoked by the burning fuel would turn black in firing while the rest of the surface became a glossy red. Compare shape with W. M. F. Petrie, ‘Prehistoric Egypt Corpus’ (London, 1921) pl. IV 29. CONDITION NOTE (1998): Pitted surface, minor chips, greyish residue, surface dirt, remnants of label, adhesive on body of pot. Collected by Mr J. H. T. Dawson in the early 20th century. When he lived and worked in Egypt he would visit different places and purchase small objects such as pottery, amulets and beads. The provenance information for this object is recorded as being "Obtained at Girga. Probably from Abydos".