1 1. INTRODUCTION

Faience objects were made in Egypt beginning in predynastic times. Faience objects commonly seen were vessels, beads, amulets, shabtis, inlays, plaques, rings, and small statues. Faience production reached its peak in the New Kingdom Period (1570 b.c.-1070 b.c.).

The manufacturing technique of pharaonic faience has been established. In general, it is made of a quartz body with an alkaline glaze achieved by one of three glazing methods: application, self-glazing by efflorescence, or self-glazing by cementation (Vandiver 1982; Kaczmarczyk and Hedges 1983; Tite and Bimson 1986). Molding and inlaying were often used during the manufacturing. However, Egyptian faience underwent stylistic and technological changes during the Ptolemaic Period.

The Ptolemaic Period dates from 330 b.c. to 30 b.c., when Egypt was ruled by a dynasty of Greek origin that coincides with the Greek Hellenistic Period. In the chronology of Egyptian history, it is also known as the first part of the Greco-Roman Period. Ptolemaic faience is known to have been produced in the Delta region of Lower Egypt (fig. 1). Various examples are known to come from Naucratis, Memphis (Petrie 1911), and recently Arthribis (Mysliwiec 1996; Spencer and Schofield 1997).

Fig. 1.

Map showing the Delta region of Egypt in the Greco-Roman Period (Baines and Malek 1980, 53)

This study deals only with faience vessels. Little information has been published on the overall stylistic context of Ptolemaic faience vessels. Following examination of several Ptolemaic faience collections in Europe, Egypt, and the United States, the author has categorized these vessels into two stylistic groups: vessels with high relief and vessels with low relief. The surface of Ptolemaic faience vessels is generally decorated in monochrome glaze or two-toned glazes in contrasting colors. In some cases polychrome glaze is used, and in a few instances gilding is applied in localized areas. This study focuses only on a group of low-relief Ptolemaic faience vessels that have two contrasting glaze colors in the collection of the Walters Art Gallery.

A total of 21 Ptolemaic faience vessels and vessel fragments in the Walters Art Gallery were studied. They are listed in table 1. Most of the pieces came from the collection of the Reverend William MacGregor (Johnston 1999, 211).1 All of the pieces date from about 300 b.c. to 200 b.c. (Reeder 1988; Scheurleer 1998). They are probably from the Delta region but have no record of specific provenance. Five of the 21 faience pieces in the group are complete vessels; their size varies, from the smallest jar (acc. no. 48.378, 10.3 x 3.3 cm) to the largest jar (acc. no. 48.365, 20.6 x 6.5 cm). The remainder of the pieces studied are vessel fragments. The distinguishing features of this group include refined shape, thin walls, two-toned glazes in contrasting colors, and detailed low-relief surface decorations arranged in friezes. A typical example is a rhyton (acc. no. 48.368) shown in figure 2. The low-relief design can be seen either on the exterior alone or on both interior and exterior. Similar decorative motifs are repeatedly used, such as rosettes, garlands, palmettos, ivy and berries, waves, scrolls, braids, griffins, and human figures (see table 1). The design can be seen either in relief or in recess, forming interplay of positive and negative images. Foreign influences are apparent in the construction and the decorative motifs of these pieces. The shape of the rhyton shown in figure 2 exhibits some influence of Near Eastern origin, as do other motifs including rosettes, palmettos, and griffins (Reeder 1988). Bands of human figures, animals, or birds are frequently presented in a Hellenistic style (Wallis 1897). The shades of green and blue used in Ptolemaic faience are distinct from the predominant turquoise blue color used in pharaonic faience.

Fig. 2.

Rhyton, Egypt, 300-200 b.c. faience, length 22.5, diameter at mouth 9.5 cm, Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore, acc. no. 48.368, chipped around rim, lower section restored. (See cover for color version of this photograph.)

This type of Ptolemaic faience vessel has received little attention. Very few faience samples of this type have been analyzed (Kaczmarczyk and Hedges 1983, app. C; Friedman 1998, 265), and their methods of manufacture have not yet been studied completely (Scheurleer 1986; Nenna and Seif el-Din 1993). The aim of this study was to characterize the materials and methods of manufacture of a group of this type of faience vessel by means of visual inspection and analytical techniques.