Bi-Color Ware (BC)

Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati – September 2011
Laerke Recht – May 2016

General Description

Bi-Color ware is distinguished by the slip applied to the rims then fired to create the distinctive contrast between the gray-brown and red portions of the vessel. It is an imported ware and part of the Imitation and Imported Wares Group.

There is also a local imitation of Bi-Color Ware found at Mozan. This locally manufactured version is called Imitation Bi-Color Ware (IBC). This ware is coarser than true BC ware and not as well-fired, resulting in inferior versions of the bi-color pattern.

Characteristics

Basis for Definition	AK, A14a21, F1, A16
Identifying Attributes	in the typical bowls the interior and much of the exterior is red-orange in color but the top of the rim on the exterior is gray-brown. Jars exhibit less firing control and have variously red, gray, and gray-brown areas
Clay Type	Red-orange clay but some vessels made in a lighter orange-buff; the clay is fine and particle size is uniform..
Temper	Very small amounts of chaff, some sand, some mica, and some white calcareous particles. In the larger and thicker walled jars there is more chaff temper, sand, and white calcareous temper. The clay is not as finely mixed in the jars with the resulting lumpy texture.
Firing	High.
Surface Treatment	Smooth surface both interior and exterior, but few examples so smooth as to feel polished. Jar surfaces tend to be less fine. Some examples have heavy wheel marks on the exterior.
Wall Thickness	ca 3mm-1cm for bowls and 1-1.5cm for jars.
Manufacturing Techniques	On the bowl rims a high iron oxide slip was applied, the vessels were then refired using a short reduced firing. A number of examples exhibit mistakes in the firing. Rim shades vary from dark brown to light brown to buff. Sometimes the iron oxide slip is applied to the body of the vessel below the rim so that the body is mottled reddish brown and the rim is orange. This is often the color pattern of the jars.
Shapes	Round sided bowls are the most common shape (rim diameters range from ca 12-25 cm). Few jars. Medium necked jars, globular body and 2 vertically placed pierced lug handles on mid-body. Small globular jar with outturned rim. Small globular jar with plain rim. Globular jar with short neck and outturned rim.
Polished	Possibly some examples.

Sherd Illustrations

Urkesh Ceramic Analysis

Categorization / Lexicon / Wares / 3rd-2nd mill.

Bi-Color Ware (BC)

General Description

Characteristics

Sherd Illustrations

Exteriors

Interiors

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