Water Jar
11th century-12th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This unglazed earthenware pot is a water jar. The potter has decorated the outside of the bowl-like neck with a simple pattern of incised lines and stippling. On the inside, there is a clay filter where the neck joins the wide, tapering body.This filter has a pierced rosette design which gives the effect of lace work. We think that jars of this type were used as water bottles and were fitted with filters to keep insects out. Similar jars have been recovered at Fustat (Old Cairo), and scholars have classified them according to the design of their filters. They believe the rosette design seen here dates from the Fatimid period (969-1171).
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Unglazed earthenware |
| Brief description | Earthenware water bottle with patterned filter, Egypt, 1000-1200. |
| Physical description | An unglazed jar of buff to white earthenware, with a conical foot, a wide, tapering body and a bowl-like neck. The exterior of the neck is decorated with a simple pattern of incised lines and stippling. On the interior, at the junction between the body and the neck, there is a filter of clay pierced to form a rosette design, giving the effect of lace work. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Gallery label | Jameel Gallery
11 Water Bottle with Patterned Filter
Egypt, 1000–1200
Earthenware with pierced and incised decoration
Museum no. C.899-1921
Given by G.D. Hornblower, Esq.
(Jameel Gallery) |
| Object history | Given by GD Hornblower. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This unglazed earthenware pot is a water jar. The potter has decorated the outside of the bowl-like neck with a simple pattern of incised lines and stippling. On the inside, there is a clay filter where the neck joins the wide, tapering body.This filter has a pierced rosette design which gives the effect of lace work. We think that jars of this type were used as water bottles and were fitted with filters to keep insects out. Similar jars have been recovered at Fustat (Old Cairo), and scholars have classified them according to the design of their filters. They believe the rosette design seen here dates from the Fatimid period (969-1171). |
| Bibliographic reference | Contadini, Anna, Fatimid Art at the Victoria & Albert Museum. London: V&A Publications, 1998. p.85, plate 31a and 31b |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.899-1921 |
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| Record created | March 6, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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