Abstract
Egyptian imitations of foreign ceramic forms in either pottery or stone are known from the late Predynastic period onward. Throughout the Dynastic age, local copies of certain types continued in production. During the Old Kingdom, the favoured shape was a flat-based jar with two handles. To Egyptian eyes, it was an instantly recognisable symbol of foreign exotica from the Levant. An imitation Combed jar in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA 20.1914), from the Giza tomb of an Old Kingdom official dating to the late 4th-early 5th Dynasty, was made in Egypt but imitates an imported jar. It served the dual purpose of magically enabling the provision of an imported luxury product for the deceased, and the appearance of royal favour at court.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Bulletin de liaison de la céramique Égyptienne |
| Editors | Sylvie Marchand |
| Place of Publication | Cairo |
| Publisher | Institut Francais d’archeologie orientale |
| Pages | 117-122 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Volume | 28 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9782724707298 |
| Publication status | Published - 2018 |
Publication series
| Name | Bulletin de la céramique égyptienne (BCE) |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Institut Francais d'Archeologie Orientale |
| Volume | 28 |
| ISSN (Print) | 0255-0903 |
Keywords
- Ceramics
- Old Kingdom
- Giza
- Trade
- Foreign relations
- Levant
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Cite this
Sowada, K. (2018). Fake till you make it: an imitation combed jar from Old Kingdom Giza. In S. Marchand (Ed.), Bulletin de liaison de la céramique Égyptienne (Vol. 28, pp. 117-122). [4] (Bulletin de la céramique égyptienne (BCE); Vol. 28). Cairo: Institut Francais d’archeologie orientale.