Lot 199: A LARGE POLYCHROME PAINTED TUNISIAN CHEMLA TWIN HANDLED POTTERY JAR, 20TH CENTURY

A large polychrome-painted pottery jar, or amphora, produced by the Chemla workshop in Tunis, Tunisia, dating to the first half of the 20th century. The glazed earthenware vessel features a bulbous body, a tiered domed neck with a flared rim, and two arched handles connecting the shoulder to the upper neck. The hand-painted underglaze decoration is executed in a traditional palette of cobalt blue, turquoise green, and mustard yellow, with manganese purple outlines on a creamy-white ground. The main body is decorated with large teardrop-shaped medallions containing stylized peacock feather or scale patterns, interspersed with circular rosettes and scrolling foliate motifs. The neck is adorned with vertical petal designs and a band of stripes, while the lower body is finished with a broad band of diagonal cross-hatching. The handles are decorated with alternating horizontal bands of manganese and green. A cursive inscription in manganese is visible on the foot rim, reading Amal Chemla Tunis (The Work of Chemla, Tunis).

H: 44cm