A fine Indus Valley terracotta cup, possibly used in antiquity as an eating or drinking vessel. The vessel features very thinly moulded walls. The sides are mostly straight with a sharp pivot to a more rounded base resting on a small circular foot. The body is decorated with a variety of geometric motifs, painted on in a black pigment. Just below the circumference of the rim are three concentric bands. Around the sides, a scalloped pattern can be seen through the earthly encrustations over the surface. The main feature is a thicker inverted triangle with further curved scallop decoration. There are two larger chips to the rim and some minor scratches and cavities over the rest of the vessel. The Indus Valley Civilisation extended from what today is northeast Afghanistan to Pakistan and north-west India. It was one of three early and widespread cradles of civilisation along with Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. At its peak, the Indus Valley Civilisation, which included such sites as Harappa and Mohenjo-daro, may have had a population of over five million, who developed new techniques in pottery, seal carving, and metallurgy. Measurements: Circa H 7.1cm x W 9.8cm Provenance: From the David Gold (deceased) collection, 1970’s.