Squashed globular jar with large mouth, the upper side of the body painted in brown with a register of separated scenes including pipal leaves and water well designs. Short cylindrical body, short neck with a wide rim, the sides painted with colourful birds separated by vertical geometric partitions. This type of fired clay vessel was mostly produced at the site of Merhgarh in Baluchistan. From here and other small centres, they were traded far and wide throughout Baluchistan, from the borders of the Indus Valley to south-eastern Iran. Examples of this pottery were also carried by merchants and nomads during their travels within the Indus Valley, and fragments have been found at the site of Harappa dating to 2800-2600 BCE and possibly even earlier. The motifs painted include both geomtric and floral and stylised animals. Yet, this type of pottery was no more produced after the beginning of the mature Harappan period (i.e. 2600 BCE).For comparable examples see: J.F.Jarrige ed., Les Cites Oubliees de l'Indus: Archeologie du Pakistan, 1988: pp.105-107. - (LO.834)

Antiquities
Ancient Near East