Jar Fragment

This large three-handled jar, for which we only have the neck and upper body, is made from a pale, medium-fine clay. The clay is very porous allowing for the preservation of liquid. The upper part of the neck was created by rolling a carved wheel around it while the clay was soft. The shoulder has incised geometric decoration consisting of vertical bands of hatched motifs, which frame interlaced wavy lines and panels of flowers and foliage. This type of ware and these decorative motifs were found in the city of Siraf in present-day Iran, which was then the main commercial port in the Gulf and easily accessible by coastal shipping from Qatar.