Nabataean Pottery

Petra Museum, Jordan

These painted bowls all date from the classical period. They were thrown on a wheel. Pottery from Nabataea usually avoids figural representation and restricts itself to geometric or vegetal motifs. The center bowl (3), however, is an exception to this rule. Found near the Temple of the Winged Lions, and dating around 300 AD, it depicts two birds eating grapes. The bowl numbered 4, left photo, was also found near the Temple of the Winged Lions but is two hundred years earlier, around 100 AD. Its design includes a triple pomegranite (right side of bowl) and other fruits. The bowl on the right also dates c. 100 AD and features a design of palmettes, with relaxed threefold symmetry.

Note: many objects from the museum could not be photographed, because they were traveling during our visit. See: Petra: Lost City of Stone at the American Museum of Natural History.