Ewer with Filter

Unknown

late 19th century · Earthenware; unglazed · Islamic Art

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.

Artist

Unknown

Date

late 19th century

Medium

Earthenware; unglazed

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Gift of Dr. Joseph and Martha Marr, 2019