Holyland pottery vessel - 110 mm

"Holy Land Pottery Storage Vessel

Culture / Period: Holy Land / Levant
Date / Period: 1st millennium B.C.
Material: Pottery
Dimensions: 110 mm
Condition: Crack visible to the body. Otherwise in good condition with surface wear and deposits consistent with age.

No shipping outside the European Union. Due to complex export regulations concerning cultural goods, this item cannot be shipped outside the EU. Please ensure you have a delivery address within the European Union before placing a bid.

Provenance information:
Object Registration ID: 111

The current owner purchased the object from a private collector, N.N., in Oosterbeek, the Netherlands.

The previous owner, a private collector, N.N. from Oosterbeek, stated that the object had been in his collection since 2025.

According to the previous owner, the object had previously been part of a private collection in the Netherlands since the 1980s.

According to the previous owner, the vessel originates from Israel.

No further information concerning the earlier ownership history of the object was available from the previous owner.

Background Information:
This pottery storage vessel originates from the ancient Holy Land, present-day Israel, and dates to the 1st millennium B.C. The vessel has a rounded piriform body with a short neck and thickened rim, a practical and durable shape commonly used throughout the Levant for the storage and transport of liquids and dry goods. Such containers formed an essential part of domestic life in both rural settlements and urban communities.

Pottery production during the 1st millennium B.C. in the Levant was highly developed and organised, with workshops producing large quantities of utilitarian wares adapted to daily household requirements. Vessels of this kind were manufactured using wheel-made techniques and fired in kilns capable of producing durable ceramic fabrics suitable for long-term use. Their relatively simple forms reflect practical efficiency rather than decorative intention, illustrating the functional character of everyday ancient pottery.

Storage jars and small household containers were indispensable within the economies of the ancient Near East. They were used for keeping water, oils, grains, wine, dried foods, and other agricultural products central to daily life. Similar examples have been excavated from domestic structures, storage rooms, courtyards, and burial contexts throughout Israel and neighbouring regions, demonstrating the widespread distribution of these ceramic traditions.

The 1st millennium B.C. was a period marked by extensive trade and cultural interaction throughout the eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. Pottery vessels circulated through local markets and regional exchange networks, linking agricultural communities, fortified towns, and larger urban centres. The enduring practicality of forms such as this reflects centuries of continuity in Levantine ceramic craftsmanship.

This piece provides a direct and tangible connection to the ancient world, where vessels of this type formed part of the everyday routines of the people who lived in the Holy Land more than two thousand years ago."