292 - Cylindrical vessel. Bactria, 2nd–1st millennium B.C.

Cylindrical vessel. Bactria, 2nd–1st millennium B.C. Alabaster. Measurements: 12 cm (height). Provenance: Family bequest of Ramon Martí Alsina and Ricard Martí Aguiló. An archaeological collection assembled beginning in the 1950s by successive generations of the family through purchases at European galleries and auction houses. This piece previously belonged to a private collection in Hampshire, Great Britain A carved stone vessel known as an alabastron, with high sides, decorated only by its elegant lines and carefully crafted contours. The smooth sides highlight the stone’s natural hues, with the upper rim flaring outward. Bactria is the ancient Greek name for the region of Central Asia located between the Hindu Kush (to the south) and the Amu Darya River (to the north). Today, this territory corresponds to northern Afghanistan, southern Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. A fertile region of oases and mountains, Bactria has been, since ancient times, an important and almost indispensable stop along trade routes and for communication between the Far East, the Indian subcontinent, and the Mediterranean basin. Of particular importance in this region is the Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex, the modern archaeological designation for the Bronze Age culture of Central Asia, dating approximately from 2200 to 1700 B.C.