A small Holy Land BilBil, ca. 1st millennium BCE

This well-preserved and elegantly proportioned bilbil is formed with a squat globular body, high tapering neck, and a wide flared rim. A relief neck-ring demarcates the transition between body and neck. A tapering strap handle is applied from rim to shoulder, and a raised vertical double line is featured on the front, enhancing its symmetry. The surface presents a smoky gray patina from reduction firing, characteristic of Levantine ceramics of the Late Bronze Age.

Vessels of this form were likely used for precious liquids, such as perfumes or oils, often associated with funerary contexts. The bilbil form itself originates from Late Bronze Age Cyprus and was widely imitated across the Eastern Mediterranean, particularly in Canaanite and Egyptian sites, suggesting broad cultural exchange. 

Medium: Ceramic

Dimensions: Height:  5 1/2 ins (14 cm)

Condition: Intact and in very good condition overall, two shallow rim flakes and an eroded patch on the body below the handle; scattered surface deposits present.

Provenance: Acquired initially in Cairo between 1945 and 1950, then brought to the U.S. by Philip Mitry around 1951–1952. Superior Gallery in Los Angeles from 1975 and acquired in 1977 by Dr. W. Benson Harer, a distinguished collector and scholar of Egyptian antiquities based in Los Angeles.

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