A finely modelled glossy reddish orange Amlash pitcher of the early Iron Age. The vessel has a funnel rim, from which a single handle extends to the shoulders. The body is decorated with a vertical rib from just below the handle towards the base, which is quite narrow and flattened. The vessel stands on its own but is supplied with a small circular acrylic base for extra stability.
 
Early Iron Age Iran: Circa 10th-9th century BC.
 
Very Fine condition: complete and intact, with light surface accretions.
Height 21.5 cms (8.5 ins).
 
Provenance: From a London collection acquired 1990's.
 
The term 'Amlash Culture', has generally been used for material cultures excavated at Gilan, an archaeological site on the southern shore of the Caspian Sea, and refers to a group of Iron Age pottery and metal executions with a strong visual character. Most Amlash pottery vessels are believed to have been stylistically and typologically inspired by bronze wares of the same period. Hemmed in by mountains, the region remained relatively isolated and so a unique ceramic tradition developed.