Beak-spouted jar

Globular jar of burnished gray ware, with flattened base and a wide mouth with a thickened rim. A long beak spout extends at right angles to the body; just below the spout is a series of parallel ridges in fine, low relief. A narrow, flat band, in low relief, like a vestigial tail, extends from the neck down the body of the jar on the side opposite the spout. The surface is beautifully compacted and lustrous.

Historical period(s)
Iron Age I - II, ca. 1400-800 BCE
Medium
Earthenware
Dimensions
H x W x D: 17.4 x 37.7 x 19.7 cm (6 7/8 x 14 13/16 x 7 3/4 in)
Geography
North Iran
Credit Line
Gift of Osborne and Gratia Hauge
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Accession Number
S1998.23
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Ceramic, Vessel
Type

Jar

Keywords
earthenware, Hauge collection, Iran, Iron Age I (ca. 1450 - 1250 BCE), Iron Age II (ca. 1250 - 800 BCE)
Provenance

From circa 1962-1967 to 1998
Mr. and Mrs. Osborne and Gratia Hauge [1]

From 1998
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Osborne and Gratia Hauge in 1998

Notes:

[1] Object record. Purchased by the Hauges in Tehran between 1962-1967.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Mr. and Mrs. Osborne and Gratia Hauge (1914-2004) and (died 2000)

Description

Globular jar of burnished gray ware, with flattened base and a wide mouth with a thickened rim. A long beak spout extends at right angles to the body; just below the spout is a series of parallel ridges in fine, low relief. A narrow, flat band, in low relief, like a vestigial tail, extends from the neck down the body of the jar on the side opposite the spout. The surface is beautifully compacted and lustrous.

Label

With its arresting form, high technical quality, and simple, elegant surface decoration, this jar exemplifies many of the most distinctive features of ancient Iranian ceramics. Superb testimony to the skill of ancient Iranian potters, these vessels often evoke in whimsical fashion the forms and features of birds and other animals.

Published References
  • James T. Ulak. A Decade of Remarkable Growth: Acquisitions by the Freer and Sackler Galleries. vol. 166 no. 548 London, 2007. p. 43.
  • Ideals of Beauty: Asian and American Art in the Freer and Sackler Galleries. Thames and Hudson World of Art London and Washington, 2010. p. 48.
  • Louise Allison Cort, Massumeh Farhad, Ann C. Gunter. Asian Traditions in Clay: The Hauge Gifts. Washington, 2000. cat. 7, p. 53.
  • Phaidon Editors. 30,000 Years of Art: The Story of Human Creativity Across Time and Space. New York. p. 70.
  • Thomas Lawton, Thomas W. Lentz. Beyond the Legacy: Anniversary Acquisitions for the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. vol. 1 Washington, 1998. p. 122, fig. 3.
  • Larry Ball. 30,000 Years of Art: The Story of Human Creativity Across Time and Space. London and New York, 2007. p. 140.
Collection Area(s)
Ancient Near Eastern Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
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