Phoenician Globular Jug with Double Stand Handle, Iron Age II, 1000 B.C.E. - 800 B.C.E.
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Provenance
The Private Collection of the Baidun FamilyMahmoud Baidun (1920-1980) founded what would become Khader M Badiun and Sons Galleries in Jerusalem, Isreal. As a young boy, Mahmoud would accompany archeologists, biblical scholars, and visiting delegations on excavation sites all over Jerusalem and other sites within the country. Earning the trust of scholars and archeologists alike, Mahmoud became an indispensable presence and guide to other visiting scholars. When Mr. Baidun entered the antiquities trade, he would be granted trade license under the British Mandate and from the Hashemite Kingdom. When Israel authorized the trade of antiquities, Mahmoud was issued one of the first antiquities licenses issued in the country. He would later forge close relationships with other merchants; slowly building a massive private collection that would go on to sell to political leaders, international museums, and private collectors globally.
The Phoenicians were a maritime trade culture and later became known for their opulent pottery, jewelry, and silks. However, in the Early Iron Age, most Phoenician pottery was simple, unglazed, and undecorated. This globular jug, measuring 22cm in height and dating back to 1000 B.C.E. – 800 B.C.E., is spectacular not in its décor, but in its craftsmanship and subtle attention to detail.
The striations of color in along the side give insight into how this jug was made, layers of clay folded over each other. The artist’s hand is still present, even after 3,000 years: the seamless cylindrical shape indicates immense skill and sense of proportion. One can imagine how impressive this perfectly cylindrical jug must’ve appeared seated atop its base in the middle of a banquet table, the serpent coiled around the handle, staring as wine filled their cups.