The Private Collection of the Baidun Family Mahmoud 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 odd shape of this shapely jug is owed to its use as an
old wine strainer of Israelite/Judean origin. The jug sports a large funnel
that rises up and out from the widest section of its base where a series of
holes would have served as a simple strainer.
This ceramic jug dates from approximately 900 B.C.E. – 800
B.C.E., when wine making itself was still a rudimentary process that required
additional straining before imbibing. This piece speaks to an ancient time when
people lived with such simple and ingenious technologies amid the bitter
reality of a harsh history.