tour 13 of 14
Sudan Past and Present: Early cultures to the Arrival of Christianity
Pottery fragment
This fragment of a ceramic bowl was made at
Faras, in the northern part of Nubia. It has a typical radial
pattern on a white background - other popular motifs included
Christian iconographic symbols such as fish, doves, crosses and
palm fronds. Stamped impressions were also sometimes used for
decoration.
The long period
of relative peace from the mid-seventh century AD onwards enabled
Nubian artistic expression to flower. This took various forms, the
most notable other than ceramic production being wall painting.
Traces of brightly coloured wall paintings have been found in over
fifty churches in Nubia, as well as in some private houses. Black
paint was usually derived from charcoal, and yellow and brown from
ochre. Textile production became more advanced during this period
and basket-making, leatherworking and metalworking were practised
to a high standard.