Ewer with Filter

late 19th century

Not on view

A previous owner of this unglazed ewer, an American woman who traveled as a tourist, marked its base in pencil with a note recalling its purchase: "Pyramids Egypt feb. 28th 1898." The vessel was possibly among the earliest objects made for the tourist market in Cairo, where an influx of European visitors in the second half of the 19th century sought out souvenirs to bring home to an audience overcome with Egyptomania. Ceramic centers, like in Asyut, produced works to satiate a desire for exotic and apparently authentic goods. This ewer, for example, may have appealed to the tourist market by continuing centuries-old craftsmanship traditions, such as the water filter inserted in the neck.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

Title: Ewer with Filter
Date: late 19th century
Geography: Attributed to Egypt
Medium: Earthenware; unglazed
Dimensions: H. 9 3/4 in. (24.8 cm)
Diam. 5 1/8 in. (13 cm)
Wt. 12.3 oz. (348.7 g)
Classification: Ceramics
Credit Line: Gift of Dr. Joseph and Martha Marr, 2019
Object Number: 2019.298
Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

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