Getty Museum

Bowl with Hand

Date

9th–8th century B.C.

Medium

Steatite

Culture

Near Eastern (Syrian)

Department

Vessels

Institution

Getty Museum

This bowl bears a design of a human hand on the underside, shown as if holding the vessel, and belongs to the class of north Syrian "hand bowls" or spoon-stoppers. Projecting laterally from the rim is a tube that opens into the bowl. On the exterior below the plain rim is an incised criss-cross pattern. A schematic hand is formed by five parallel strips in relief, with nails and knuckles indicated by pairs of horizontal incised lines. The lower third of the bowl is decorated with cross-hatching. There is a thick ring at the join of the bowl and the spout, the tip of which has broken off. Traces of burning are visible. The vessel was attached to a separate flask and used to dispense unguents and libations.

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