Urkesh Ceramic Analysis

Categorization / Lexicon / Decoration

Appliqué and Pinched

Laerke Recht – June 2015
February 2017

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Introduction

The most common applique decoration is an attached rope decoration. It can appear in a single, double or with three lines of decoration. A single band of rope decoration with parallel straight bands on the top and bottom are most common while just a single rope decorated band does occur. Principally a type of decoration applied to medium and large jars. Rope decoration alone occurs in most time periods excavated thus far at Mozan. A narrow rope band was applied to a small vessel from the Ninevite V period, rope bands can occur on Wet Smoothed vessels in f16 of K1. During the Mittani period (Phase 7) rope decorated bands are common on bowls, more rarely on jars; they are often found in more than one band applied to the body of the vessel near the rim.

In addition to the rope decorations, there are also special applique decoration that occur rarely on what are likely ritual vessels. These appliques take the shape of snakes and scorpions attached to the upper portions of vessels, with the snake decoration sometimes also coming up over the edge of the rim. Although these types sometimes include combed decorations, they are classified as applique as that is the primary decoration on these types.

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Rope, 1 line (A1)

See also combinations A1+M4.







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Rope, 2 lines (A2)

See also combinations A2+B6.



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Rope, 3 lines (A3)



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Combined rope and combed decoration (A4)





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Snake (A5)









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Scorpion (A6)

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Snake and scorpion (A7)

Not currently illustrated.

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Snake, scorpion and combed decoration (A8)

A13.3 A13.3

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Snake and combed decoration (A9)











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