Indus Valley Terracotta Cups with geometric decoration. - 75 mm
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€ 1
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Selected by Ruth Garrido Vila
Directed the Ifergan Collection Museum, specialising in Phoenician and Mediterranean archaeology.
Estimate € 300 - € 350
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This restored Indus Valley terracotta cup with geometric decoration dates to 4000–3500 BC.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Early Bronze Age bowl in the Tepe Sialk tradition with geometric decoration, ca. 4000–3500 BC
Characteristic painted ceramic bowl from the Late Chalcolithic period or early 4th millennium BC, probably from the Iranian plateau and stylistically closely related to the pottery of Tepe Sialk (Period III).
Made of beige to ochre-colored clay, the bowl has a deep, evenly rounded body, a slightly recessed base, and a rim that finishes almost vertically. The exterior is decorated with monochrome dark brown paint in an abstract geometric design. Broad horizontal bands divide the body; above them are groups of vertical lines alternating with angular, triangular, and hook-shaped motifs. The restrained color palette and rhythmic arrangement of the geometric elements are characteristic of the highly developed painted pottery of this period.
A remarkably close parallel is held at the Musée du Louvre (Inv. AO 17811 / S 308): https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010142560 The vessel excavated at Tepe Sialk is catalogued as a deep bowl with geometric decoration from Sialk III-3 and is likewise dated to 4000–3500 BC. At 7.9 cm high, it is also almost the same height as the example offered here.
In view of this close typological and chronological correspondence, an attribution to the Tepe Sialk cultural sphere or the associated pottery tradition of the Iranian plateau seems more plausible than the broader designation “Indus Valley.”
Culture/Region: Iranian plateau, Tepe Sialk tradition
Date: ca. 4000–3500 BC
Material: beige clay, monochrome dark brown paint
Dimensions: 75 × 98 × 98 mm
Condition:
Assembled from fragments; a few small areas have been restored
Reference:
Musée du Louvre, Department of Near Eastern Antiquities:
https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010142560
Provenance:
Acquired in 2026 on the German art market; previously in a Munich private collection since the 1990s.
The invoice is available and will be provided to the buyer as a copy.
Early Bronze Age bowl in the Tepe Sialk tradition with geometric decoration, ca. 4000–3500 BC
Characteristic painted ceramic bowl from the Late Chalcolithic period or early 4th millennium BC, probably from the Iranian plateau and stylistically closely related to the pottery of Tepe Sialk (Period III).
Made of beige to ochre-colored clay, the bowl has a deep, evenly rounded body, a slightly recessed base, and a rim that finishes almost vertically. The exterior is decorated with monochrome dark brown paint in an abstract geometric design. Broad horizontal bands divide the body; above them are groups of vertical lines alternating with angular, triangular, and hook-shaped motifs. The restrained color palette and rhythmic arrangement of the geometric elements are characteristic of the highly developed painted pottery of this period.
A remarkably close parallel is held at the Musée du Louvre (Inv. AO 17811 / S 308): https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010142560 The vessel excavated at Tepe Sialk is catalogued as a deep bowl with geometric decoration from Sialk III-3 and is likewise dated to 4000–3500 BC. At 7.9 cm high, it is also almost the same height as the example offered here.
In view of this close typological and chronological correspondence, an attribution to the Tepe Sialk cultural sphere or the associated pottery tradition of the Iranian plateau seems more plausible than the broader designation “Indus Valley.”
Culture/Region: Iranian plateau, Tepe Sialk tradition
Date: ca. 4000–3500 BC
Material: beige clay, monochrome dark brown paint
Dimensions: 75 × 98 × 98 mm
Condition:
Assembled from fragments; a few small areas have been restored
Reference:
Musée du Louvre, Department of Near Eastern Antiquities:
https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010142560
Provenance:
Acquired in 2026 on the German art market; previously in a Munich private collection since the 1990s.
The invoice is available and will be provided to the buyer as a copy.
Details
Culture
Indus Valley
Century/timeframe
4000-3500 v. Chr.
Name of object
Cups with geometric decoration.
Acquired from
Auction house
Year acquired
2026
Material
Terracotta
Country acquired from
Germany
Condition
Restored
Previous owner acquired from
Private collection
Height
75 mm
Previous owner - year acquired
1990
Width
98 mm
Previous owner - country acquired from
Germany
Depth
98 mm
I verify that I have obtained this object legally and that I am allowed to sell it
Yes
Authenticity
Original/official
Sold by
Disclaimer
The seller was informed by Catawiki about documentation requirements and guarantees the following: - the object was legally obtained, - the seller has the right to sell and/or export the object, as relevant, - the seller will provide the necessary provenance information and arrange required documentation and permits/licenses, as applicable and as per local laws, - the seller will notify the buyer of any delays in obtaining permits/licenses. By bidding, you acknowledge that import documentation may be required depending on your country of residence and that obtaining permits/licenses may cause delays in the delivery of your object.
The seller was informed by Catawiki about documentation requirements and guarantees the following: - the object was legally obtained, - the seller has the right to sell and/or export the object, as relevant, - the seller will provide the necessary provenance information and arrange required documentation and permits/licenses, as applicable and as per local laws, - the seller will notify the buyer of any delays in obtaining permits/licenses. By bidding, you acknowledge that import documentation may be required depending on your country of residence and that obtaining permits/licenses may cause delays in the delivery of your object.
