C-Ware – deep bowl C-0196
By Droux, Xavier
, Tomb 1805.
1928–1929 : British Museum Expedition to Middle Egypt excavation.Cairo, Egyptian Museum, JE 52835.
Date : Naqada IA–IIB
General range of C-ware production
Material : Nile silt (Painted)
Preservation : Intact
Decoration preservation : Good
Decoration
The rim of the vessel is decorated with groups of parallel, oblique lines that have alternating direction. Below, the decorative space is divided in two halves by the same plant motif repeated twice. It is possibly the common reed, shown as long, vertical stems that start at the bottom of the vessel and run toward the rim in opposite direction. They each have large leaves represented in groups, with gaps inbetween. The scenes painted on either side of these dividing plants mirror one another. Two hippopotamuses face one another. Their ears are represented by small protuberances at the top of the heads, which are heavily stylised and squared. They have short tails and their bodies are filled with a large, downturned triangle filled with chevrons on the belly, and other lines (possibly downturned chevrons) on the muzzle. Both animals are harpooned, one in the head, the other in the behind. The weapons consist of long lines intersected by and ending with loops.
Near each hippopotamus is a second type of plant that consists of a series of parallel, horizontal undulating lines joined vertically through their centre. Several small circular designs with protruding lines, perhaps representing floral motifs, are painted inbetween the animals and the plants.
Dimensions (cm)
7
15.5
15.5
Additional information
Open
Vi 221
Oi 100
flat base
Inside
References
1937
Mostagedda and the Tasian culture. British Museum Expedition to Middle Egypt, first and second years, 1928–1929. London
, pls. XXX, XXXII, 1b, XXXIV, 30.1989
Das Nilpferd in der Vorstellungswelt der alten Ägypter. Teil I, Katalog. Europäische Hochschulschriften VIII, 22. Frankfurt am Main
, doc. 26a.2004
A theriomorphic predynastic stone jar and hippopotamus symbolism, in: Hendrickx, Stan; Friedman, Renée; Ciałowicz, Krzysztof M.; Chłodnicki, Marek (eds), Egypt at its origins: studies in memory of Barbara Adams; proceedings of the International Conference "Origin of the State. Predynastic and Early Dynastic Egypt", Kraków, 28th August–1st September 2002. Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta 138. Leuven
, table 3.2009
Les peintures sur vases de Nagada I–Nagada II: nouvelle approche sémiologique de l'iconographie prédynastique. Egyptian Prehistory Monographs 6. Leuven
, cat. 40.2010
L'iconographie de la chasse dans le contexte social prédynastique. Archéo-Nil 20
, 108, fig. 2.2015
Riverine and desert animals in predynastic Upper Egypt: material culture and faunal remains. Dphil thesis, University of Oxford. Oxford
, cat. 1.13.2022
A pretty happy hippo: pictorial narrativity in the early Naqada Period, in: Sperveslage, Gunnar (ed.), Early Egyptian Miscellanies: discussions and essays on predyastic and early dynastic Egypt. Internet-Beiträge zur Ägyptologie und Sudanarchäologie 26. Berlin, London
, 39–40, fig. 2, no. 040.2021
L'image comme vecteur de discours idéologique: analyse diachronique des représentations de bateau dans l'art pré- et protodynastique, in: Köhler, E. Christiana; Kuch, Nora; Junge, Friederike (eds), Egypt at its Origins 6: proceedings of the sixth International Conference "Origins of the State. Predynastic and Early Dynastic Egypt", Vienna, 10th-15th September 2017. Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta 303. Leuven
, 766, note 2.