Carafe with long spout

The shape of this carafe is characteristic of the Iranian Iron Age and replicates the form of metal vases. Its striking painted decoration, however, is unique to the Sialk site. It combines stylised animals (two gazelles in this case) with geometric motifs, and covers all the available space. The appearance of new styles corresponds to profound social and cultural changes at the beginning of the Iron Age, which may have coincided with the emergence of new populations in the region. At Sialk, these ceramics were found mainly in the tombs of two necropolises (A and B), where they probably played a role in funerary ritual. The ritual probably involved pouring a liquid from the slender, elongated spout, before setting the vase at the deceased’s side.