Sphero-Conical Vessel with Stamped & Incised Decoration - AMD.253, Origin: Central Asia, Circa: 12 th Century AD to 13 th Century AD, Dimensions: 6.3" (16.0cm) wide, Collection: Islamic Art, Style: Islamic, Medium: Earthenware. The sphero-conical vessel style of objects form a distinct group, homogeneously brought together by their shape and material. Often these objects are the same size, however very large and very small examples have been documented. The form is characterized by the "sphero-conical" shape of the body, the outline varies, but almost all have a narrow neck usually with a groove beneath the lip that would be used to tie a stopper down, and the opening is usually no more than a few millimeters in diameter. Color, texture and finish will vary, but most often these objects are dark, fine grained and compact. Firing appears to be high as to render the object impenetrable, so there is no need for waterproofing. The thickness of the walls gives the object weight and strength, and no doubt helps to improve water tightness. These objects appear throughout the Islamic world in the same form from east to west.

Antiquities
Ancient Near East