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Clay beaker: E.13.1911

An image of Beaker (vessel)
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An image of Beaker (vessel)
An image of Beaker (vessel)
Current Location: Gallery 24

Titles

Clay beaker

Entities

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Description

Red & black wash

Clay beaker, with black top decoration. Made in Nubia (Southern Egypt/Sudan)

Kerma beaker, with black top decoration. Made in Nubia (Southern Egypt/Sudan) and found in a grave at the Egyptian cemetery of Abydos. The vessel is made from Nile Silt clay and has very thin walls, measuring from 2-5 mm in thickness. The rim is asymmetrical and the interior was smoothed with fingers, and burnished (rubbed with a hard object horizontally). Outside there is a red wash on the lower section of the pot which was then polished. This type of ware is called red and black. This vessel came from the grave of a Nubian living in Egypt who belonged to a group of people called the Kerma culture. Only a few familes of the Kerma people found their way into Egypt. It is therefore of interest that they brought pottery with them, along with other goods, but chose a traditional Egyptian manner of burial. The base is rounded. The pot is complete, which is remarkable given its fragile structure.

Measurements and weight

Diameter: 14.2 cm
Height: 11.7 cm

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (1911) by The Egyptian Exploration Fund

Dating

13th Dynasty
Middle Kingdom
Second Intermediate period
Circa -1773 BCE - -1650 BCE

Materials used in production

clay Clay

Techniques used in production

Burnished
Polished
Handmade

References and bibliographic entries

Related exhibitions

Identification numbers

Accession number: E.13.1911
Primary reference Number: 51243
Oldadmincategory: P

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Friday 18 July 2025

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Antiquities

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "Clay beaker" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/51243 Accessed: 2025-12-05 22:41:33

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{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/51243 |title=Clay beaker |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-05 22:41:33|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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