Vase - Double-loop globular - Terracotta - Read in the description.

The information below has been derived from web-based research, using three different artificial intelligence models.
They were provided with the same photos attached above, and we have supplied the base information already in our possession: measurements, weight, origin declared by the collector who ceded the vase.
The AIs produced very similar results; we have consolidated them and present them below for verification. A simple search by title and attached photo suffices.

Description
Rare terracotta vase with a globular body, double vertical handle and wide mouth. The object, handmade without a potter’s wheel, features a decoration painted in horizontal bands of iron-based pigment, typical of African Painted Ware (APW) ceramics, a technique widespread between Tunisia and Libya from the 5th to the 9th century CE. The surface is irregular and rustic, with an original, unrestored earthy patina.

Provenance
Probable origin: Northern Tunisia (area of Sejnane, Gafsa, or interior Berber regions).
Culture: Rural Berber, late antique and early medieval influence.

Chronology
Production period: Late antique / High medieval (500–900 CE).

Technical characteristics
Material: Coarse terracotta fired at low temperature, visible impurities, natural iron-based pigments.
Technique: Hand modeling, probable open-air firing.
Decoration: Horizontal geometric bands painted on the neck and body; base with a cross-hatched circular decoration.

Measurements
Height 23 cm. Base diameter 11 cm. Neck diameter 8.5 cm. Width on the side with handles 16 cm. Width on the side without handles 14 cm. Weight 1420 g.

Date of provenance:
Without scientific tests (TL, C14), dating remains hypothetical (500–900 CE vs. ethnographic production 19th–20th century).

Condition
Intact object, small gaps and signs of wear typical of the age. Original patina not removed, no modern interventions.

Historical use
Vessels of this type were employed in rural Africa for the collection and storage of water, milk, or cereals; sometimes used for ritual or funerary purposes.

Documentation and archaeological comparisons
Compared with African Painted Ware (APW) ceramics, typical of rural North African centers from late antiquity to the early medieval period. Stylistically more archaic and artisanal than the well-known African Red Slip Ware (ARS), with manual decoration rather than polished surfaces.

Collectors or enthusiasts of African archaeology will thus appreciate the ethno-archaeological and historical value of this rare, well-preserved specimen, a precious testimony to the long Berber ceramic tradition of the Maghreb.

Very quickly packed with Styrofoam and multiple layers of wrap, and shipped with tracking and insurance through top courier services.

The shipping cost includes shipment tracking, packing materials, and insurance of the artworks.

WE DO NOT SHIP TO THE United States due to new tariff policies. It is the buyer’s responsibility to pay import duties and any customs fees in the destination country.