Aswan Red Slip ware (Groups O and OP)
Egypt/Fayoum, Egypt/Upper Egypt
4th - 7th century CE
Roman, Byzantine
General Information
The repertoire of vessel shapes exhibits significant similarities with other late antique ceramic productions of North Africa, Cyprus, and Asia Minor but also includes completely independent Egyptian shapes that sometimes originated in the Ptolemaic period. The shape repertoire includes mainly open shapes, such as cups, bowls, and plates, and closed shapes, such as pitchers, bottles, and beakers are very rare.
The ware initially appears in the 4th century CE and continued on into the 8th century CE. The Aswan Ptolemaic-Roman Red Slipped ware likely was its precursor, however, these two groups mainly differ in their repertoire of vessel shapes. This ware was exported beyond the borders of Egypt. Fragments of the Aswan Red Slip ware (Groups O and OP) have been found on Cyprus, Sicily, isolated pieces in Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Libya, and Turkey as well as the immediate neighbor to the south, Nubia (Sudan).
Aswan clay, very hard, yellow to chocolate brown fracture. Few red nodules, rare fine white particles.
The red or red-orange, dull to dull-glossy slip is characteristic for the Aswan Red Slip ware. The slip usually covers the whole vessel but its quality sometimes varies considerably even on a single vessel.
40% of the vessels are decorated either with rouletting or with (polychrome) painting.
Aswan, Elephantine (Egypt/Upper Egypt)
Aswan, Syene (Egypt/Upper Egypt)
Dime, Soknopaiou Nesos (Egypt/Fayoum)
