Foundation deposit vessel. Ancient Egypt. New Empire, Reign of Ramses III, ca.1184-1153 BC.

Foundation deposit vessel. Ancient Egypt. New Empire, Reign of Ramses III, ca.1184-1153 BC.
Fayenza.
Provenance: Private collection, Madrid, Spain. Acquired in the Spanish art market in 2006.
Good general state of preservation. Presents cracks.
Measurements: 4.5 cm. height; 3.9 cm. diameter.

Rare and significant example of a foundation vase, a typology closely linked to the ritual practices of architectural consecration in Ancient Egypt. These pieces were buried in the foundations of temples and sacred buildings as symbolic offerings intended to guarantee divine protection, structural stability and the perpetuity of the monument.

The vase, with a slightly truncated cone profile, is made of Egyptian faience, a characteristic material of great symbolic value for its bluish color, associated with water, regeneration and the divine world. The surface has a turquoise glaze with chromatic variations and patina according to its age, which reinforce its authenticity.

It highlights the presence of hieroglyphic inscription in black ink, applied before firing, which probably mentions the name and title of Ramses III, one of the last great pharaohs of the New Empire. This type of inscriptions not only identified the foundational context, but also acted as a protective invocation, linking the building to the royal power and the cosmic order.