Origin: Israel
Circa: 1300 BC to 900 BC
Weight: 22 Grams
Collection: Egyptian
Style: Late 2nd to early 1st Millennium BC
Medium: Gold
This remarkable spheroid vase is in the form of a pomegranate. Its short neck with distinctive, ribbed, everted petals imitates the natural form of the top of this fruit. The neck of the vessel is decorated with a series of repeated motifs in the form of a central lotus bud, flanked on each side by single lotus blossoms. These are oriented toward the bottom of the vessel as if forming part of a garland placed around the neck of the vase.
The pomegranate was first introduced into Egypt during the later Bronze Age from the Levant as a result of the military campaigns of such warrior pharaohs as Tuthmosis III. Shortly thereafter Egyptian craftsmen of Dynasty XVIII were creating vases in the shape of pomegranates in silver, faience, glass, ivory and other deluxe materials. These, however, differ in their design from our golden pomegranate.

Antiquities
Ancient Near East