Black Top type vase. Ancient Egypt. Predynastic period (Naqada I-II), c. 4000-3200 B.C.

Black Top type vase. Ancient Egypt. Predynastic period (Naqada I-II), c. 4000-3200 B.C.
Burnished terracotta.
Provenance: Harmakhis Archeologie; Private collection, Madrid.
Measurements: 40 cm high; 22 cm wide.

Belonging to the Naqada I-II cultures, this Black Top type vessel is situated in a key phase of pre-dynastic Egypt. Its manufacture coincides with the process of cultural formation prior to the unification of the country. In addition, it is a piece of considerable size, which distinguishes it from the standard productions of this period.

Characteristic for its bichrome finish, the vessel has a reddish body with a contrasting blackened upper rim, the result of an intentional control of the firing process. The red color of the black tops was achieved with the engobe technique, covering the exterior surface of the vessel with a liquid clay mixed with water and red ochre (earth with ferric minerals), after an initial drying process before firing. Black, on the other hand, was obtained when, after firing, the vessel was placed upside down in the combustion embers. The carbonization of the part that was submerged caused the aforementioned black color.

These vessels accompanied the deceased as part of their trousseau, reflecting beliefs linked to the afterlife and the provision of necessary goods.

The surface, polished and smooth to the touch, shows a high degree of technical skill despite its age, while the chromatic variations provide a sober but very characteristic aesthetic value.

This type of piece constitutes some of the oldest testimonies of technical and aesthetic development in the Nile Valley.