Ancient Egyptian Granite Vases

Ancient egyptian pottery includes all objects of fired clay from ancient egypt.

Ancient egyptian granite vases.

Such items include beer and wine mugs and water jugs but also bread molds fire pits lamps and stands for holding round vessels which were all commonly used in the. First and foremost ceramics served as household wares for the storage preparation transport and consumption of food drink and raw materials. The ancient egyptians made these tools out of a variety of rock types including granite basalt and sandstone clark engelbach 1930. Mass produced lathe cut vases petrie submitted evidence that showed that the ancient egyptians used lathes.

In 1880 sir william flinders petrie realized that only lathe turning could have produced the symmetry and balance he found on thousands of bowls and vases at gizeh and saqqara. Crystal vases made of solid quartz carved over 2 000 years ago with ancient technology. We can read an inscription concerning imhotep which tributes him as the chief vase maker amongst his many titles. These tools could be rubbed by hand back and forth or in a circular motion in a set pattern across the surface of the stone object with or without abrasive.

Stoneware such as this has not been found from any later era in egyptian history it seems that the skills necessary were lost. Some delicate vases are made of very brittle stone such as schist like a flint and yet are finished turned and polished to a flawless paper thin edge an extraordinary feat of craftsmanship.