Jar

This pouring vessel is handmade with a rounded profile. It probably had a rounded base, though it is not preserved. The whole body is covered with a cream-coloured slip and maroon painted decoration. The single handle indicates that it was intended to pour liquid, presumably water but perhaps other drinks.

Although it was found at Al Zubara in northwest Qatar, the characteristic gritty clay, as well as the manufacturing technique, shape and decoration, identify it as Julfar Ware. This kind of pottery was made in Ras Al-Khaimah (United Arab Emirates) and exported all over the Gulf, especially in the 18th to mid-20th centuries. Many of the Julfar Ware exports were cooking pots but pouring jars such as this were also relatively common.