Historical Context & Origin
Region: Northwestern Anatolia (Yortan Culture), Ancient Anatolia
Material: Terracotta with traces of white slip and pigment
Period: Early Bronze Age, ca. 1700 BCE (17th Century BCE)
Description
This rare ancient Anatolian terracotta zoomorphic vessel is modeled in the form of a pig or wild boar, representing one of the distinctive animal-shaped ceramic forms associated with the Yortan Culture of northwestern Anatolia. Hand-formed in earthenware, the vessel features a rounded globular body supported by three stout tripod legs, a projecting snout, applied ears, and a tall arched stirrup handle connecting the shoulder to the pouring spout.
Animal-form vessels of this type are among the most recognizable products of the Early Bronze Age cultures of western Anatolia. The pig was an important domestic and symbolic animal throughout the ancient Near East and Anatolia, and vessels depicting swine are known from funerary and ritual contexts associated with the Yortan cultural horizon.
The vessel retains traces of its original light-colored slip and pigment, with substantial surface encrustation and age-related wear consistent with long-term burial.
Features
- Authentic ancient Anatolian terracotta zoomorphic vessel
- Modeled as a pig or wild boar
- Attributed to the Yortan Culture of Northwestern Anatolia
- Early Bronze Age, approximately 1700 BCE
- Tripod support legs
- High arched stirrup handle
- Traces of original white slip and pigment
- Accompanied by extensive collection documentation
Historical Significance
The Yortan Culture flourished in western Anatolia during the Early Bronze Age and is particularly known for its distinctive ceramic traditions, including highly stylized animal-form vessels and funerary pottery. Archaeological discoveries from Yortan cemeteries have revealed a sophisticated ceramic industry characterized by carefully modeled forms and symbolic representations of animals.
Zoomorphic vessels such as this example likely served ceremonial, ritual, or funerary purposes. Their forms reflect the importance of livestock and agricultural life within Bronze Age Anatolian society while also demonstrating the artistic skill of ancient potters working nearly four thousand years ago.
Condition
Ancient condition with expected age-related wear, surface weathering, mineral deposits, pigment loss, and burial encrustation. Evidence of restoration and repair is visible where the handle joins the vessel body and along portions of the upper body. Two significant chips are present along the rim, and there may be a historic loss to the pouring spout. Additional small chips and wear are present to the feet and extremities.
Dimensions (Approximate)
Height: 6.75 in
Width: 6 in
Depth: 5.75 in
Age (Approximate)
3,700 years old
Provenance
Purchased on September 9, 1966, from the Antique Shop at the Hilton Hotel, Istanbul, Turkey, and subsequently retained in the McMillan Collection, Minnesota, USA, for nearly six decades.
The vessel is accompanied by its original McMillan Collection inventory card identifying the piece as a "Yortan Pig Water Jug" from Northern Anatolia and dating it to the 17th Century BCE. The inventory card records the date and location of acquisition and includes an original period photograph of the vessel as it appeared in the collection in the 1980s.
Additional accompanying documentation includes the original Hilton Hotel Antique Shop card from Istanbul, the original McMillan Collection inventory records listing the vessel as Item No. 26, and the collection valuation guide documenting the object within the McMillan Collection archive.
Learn More
Learn about the Early Bronze Age Yortan Culture of Ancient Anatolia
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