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Punic Symbolic Terracotta Jar
Circa 4th-3rd Century BC
Description: Attractive wheel-made buff-colored, thick-walled jar with symbolic crescent. The vessel has a semi-conical shape that tapers upward into an offset wide echinus-shaped mouth. The base of the vessel is flat with a very low ring foot. The jar is sparsely decorated with a single upturned crescent applied to the shoulder. Constructed of course beige clay with areas of subtle orange coloring.
Height: 3.75 in. (9.2 cm)
Condition: Intact.
Provenance: Formerly a German property.
Background: The two primary deities worshipped in Punic religion were Ba'al Hammon and Tanit, who were in simplest terms a solar god and lunar goddess. Neither were generally represented by human imagery, but rather by numerous symbols. Particular to Ba'al Hammon are the horns of a ram, as perhaps portrayed on this vessel. Tanit was often represented by the crescent moon, another interpretation of the vessel.
The Latin term "Punic" refers to the Phoenicians, in particular the Graeco-Roman era culture and the dialect of Carthage. After the Punic Wars, Romans used the term synonymously with "treacherous".
Price: $ 450
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