Open mouth jar
Unknown Artist
ca. 3850–2960 B.C.
Medium
Pottery
Classification
Jar
Period
Predynastic Period
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1936
Accession Number
36.1.47
Art Historical Context
Welcome to the ancient wonders of Egypt's Predyn Period with this striking *Open Mouth Jar*, crafted around 3850–2960 B.C. by an unknown artisan. Dating to a time before the pharaohs and pyramids, this pottery vessel hails from the formative Naqada I-II phases, when Nile Valley communities were transitioning from nomadic life to settled agriculture. Such jars were everyday essentials, used for storing grain, beer, or oils, reflecting the era's growing reliance on farming and trade. Made of fired clay, the jar showcases early Egyptian pottery techniques: hand-built without a wheel, then polish...