Ancient Anatolian Yortan Blackware Tripod Jar with Lid

Yortan Culture, Early Bronze Age II, c. 2700–2400 BC, Kula, Manisa Province, Northwestern Anatolia

A magnificent and exceptionally rare hand-built ceramic jar with lid from the Early Bronze Age Yortan culture, this striking vessel exemplifies the high level of ceramic sophistication achieved in prehistoric Anatolia. Fashioned from dark grey to black clay, the jar displays a rounded, slightly compressed vase-shaped body with gently sloping shoulders, rising to a flaring neck and an elegantly everted rim. It is accompanied by a domed lid adorned with a delicate conical knop and arrow-shaped geometric motifs. The vessel is raised on three tapering, protruding legs, giving it a distinctive tripod stance.

Four small knob-like projections extend from the shoulder, angled subtly upward to enhance both visual rhythm and symbolic resonance. Two of these projections are pierced, as is the lid itself. Additionally, the rim is perforated on either side of the neck, likely intended for the insertion of a cord or strap, facilitating suspension, carrying, or secure closure during transport.

Particularly noteworthy is the refined surface treatment. The entire vessel has been carefully burnished to a deep, lustrous sheen, while incised geometric ornamentation—including arched bands encircling the body and an incised band with vertical lines at the base—is highlighted with white inlay, creating a striking contrast against the dark ground. This restrained yet sophisticated decoration reflects both aesthetic refinement and symbolic intent, suggesting ritual or funerary associations.

The Yortan culture is primarily known through an extensive but still insufficiently studied burial ground in the Bakırçay Valley of northwestern Anatolia and remains among the more enigmatic Early Bronze Age cultures of the region. Funerary practices typically involved placing the deceased, both adults and children, in large terracotta storage jars in a contracted position, often accompanied by finely crafted ceramic vessels such as this example. The distinctive black-burnished wares of Yortan, characterized by elegant forms and stylized decoration, provide rare insight into the beliefs and daily practices of this ancient society.

This tripod jar with lid is a superb and evocative example of Early Bronze Age ceramic artistry and a rare survivor from a culture still largely shrouded in mystery, offering a compelling connection to the prehistoric world of Anatolia.

Excellent condition. Intact. Light surface wear and abrasions commensurate with age and use, with root marks and earthen deposits throughout. Size approx. 12,0cm x 9,1cm x 8,6cm.

Provenance: From the estate of Associate Professor and Chief Physician Lennart Diener (1921–1989). Lennart Diener was a pioneer in the application of X-ray technology and an internationally recognized authority in the radiological examination of mummies. During his medical studies in the 1940s, he developed a deep interest in ethnography and Egyptology, particularly through the lens of medical history. As head of X-ray diagnostics at the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Diener gained international acclaim for his groundbreaking research and undertook multiple study trips to Egypt, where he was invited to lecture at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. He also lectured at the Symposium on the History of Medicine in the Nordic Countries, published extensively in Svensk Medicinhistorisk Tidskrift, and was later appointed Director of the Museum of Medical History.

For a similar examples see: 

Tripod jar and lid, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Accession Number: 60.83.2a, b (https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/325069)   

Vessel, The British Museum, Accession Number: 132425 (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/W_1921-1220-49)