Jar

Ovoidal body, bold spreading foot, cylindrical neck and two loop handles. A crack around the shoulder. Decoration: incised in the paste.

ā€¦ Read More

Historical period(s)
Parthian period, 1st-3rd century
Medium
Earthenware with alkaline glaze
Dimensions
H x Diam: 27.4 Ɨ 19.9 cm (10 13/16 Ɨ 7 13/16 in)
Geography
Iraq
Credit Line
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art
Accession Number
F1903.190
On View Location
Freer Gallery 12: The Peacock Room Comes to America
Classification(s)
Ceramic, Vessel
Type

Jar

Keywords
earthenware, Iraq, Parthian period (247 BCE - 224 CE)
Provenance

To 1903
Unidentified private dealer, Paris, to 1903 [1]

From 1903 to 1919
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from an unidentified private dealer in Paris, through Dikran G. Kelekian (1868-1951), Paris, in November 1903 [2]

From 1920
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

Notes:

[1] Undated folder sheet note. See Voucher No. 1, November 1903, and Original Pottery List, L. 1229, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. See also, Curatorial Remark 1 in the object record.

[2] See note 1.

[3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Charles Lang Freer 1854-1919
Dikran Garabed Kelekian (C.L. Freer source) 1868-1951

Description

Ovoidal body, bold spreading foot, cylindrical neck and two loop handles. A crack around the shoulder. Decoration: incised in the paste.

Label

Earthenware jars of this shape, covered with an alkaline glaze typically colored green, turquoise, or brown, are characteristic products of Mesopotamia in the Parthian period (ca. 160 B.C.E.-224 C.E.). 

Published References
  • Ann C. Gunter. A Collector's Journey: Charles Lang Freer and Egypt. Washington and London, 2002. p. 34, fig. 2.6.
  • St. John Simpson. Pottery in the Making: World Ceramic Traditions. Exh. cat. London and Washington, July 3 - December 31, 1997. pp. 74-79.
Collection Area(s)
Ancient Near Eastern Art
Web Resources
The Story of the Beautiful
Google Cultural Institute
SI Usage Statement

Usage Conditions Apply

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery welcome information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

citation | Save this image How to download an image | Request Permission | Terms of Use

Related Objects