Faience Marsh Bowl

This exquisite faience bowl (Met Museum. 26.7.905) stands as one of the more generous examples of its kind, often charmingly referred to as the “marsh bowl” or “nun-bowl”. Its outer surface is adorned with a radiant display of Egyptian blue lotus petals and sepals, whose natural purple speckles have been rendered as delicate painted dashes.

At the heart of the bowl’s interior lies an intricate square motif, its chequerboard of solid, reserved, and patterned bands encircled by a woven design, evoking the image of a tranquil pond. Around this watery tableau, and rising gracefully up to the rim, blooms a continuous garland of lotus blossoms; some fully open with upright stems, others gently drooping in tender bud. The empty spaces are elegantly filled with lotus buds, their delicate forms creating a visual harmony that speaks to the artist’s eye for balance and detail.

This beautifully preserved piece was discovered alongside a scarab within the coffin of a woman named Teti, which also held the mummies of two adults and a child. The bowl, the scarab, and the coffin can now be admired in Gallery 114 of The Met, where they offer a glimpse into the artistry and spiritual significance that once adorned the Egyptian afterlife.

Summary:

Faience “marsh bowl”

New Kingdom, Early 18th Dynasty, c. 1550–1458 B.C.

From Tomb CC 47 (Burial 12), Thebes. Excavated by Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon, 1912; acquired by Lord Carnarvon in the division of finds. Purchased by the Met Museum (26.7.905) from Lady Carnarvon, 1926.