Fake till you make it: an imitation combed jar from Old Kingdom Giza

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

    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 languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationBulletin de liaison de la céramique Égyptienne
    EditorsSylvie Marchand
    Place of PublicationCairo
    PublisherInstitut Français d'Archéologie Orientale
    Pages117-122
    Number of pages6
    Volume28
    ISBN (Print)9782724707298
    Publication statusPublished - 2018

    Publication series

    NameBulletin de la céramique égyptienne (BCE)
    PublisherInstitut Francais d'Archeologie Orientale
    Volume28
    ISSN (Print)0255-0903

    Keywords

    • Ceramics
    • Old Kingdom
    • Giza
    • Trade
    • Foreign relations
    • Levant

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