Mit Rahina Ware Vessel
Unknown Artist
200–100 BCE
Medium
polychrome faience
Dimensions
h. 9.4 cm · diam. 10.7 cm
Classification
Vessels
Department
Egyptian and Ancient Near Eastern Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Accession Number
1989.31
About this artwork
With its eggshell-thin walls and low-relief decoration, this vessel is one of the very finest examples of Mit Rahina ware. The decoration is a system of friezes incorporating non-Egyptian motifs; the griffins and rosettes are Persian, while the egg-and-dart edge pattern is Greek. Contrasting hues and traces of gold hint at an original appearance that must have been stunning.