Twin Handled Vessel Precolumbian? Mayan? HELP!

Hi everyone!
This is a small, 4" tall vessel. I'm looking for the age, origin and use of this piece (if not a tourist piece). It has a lot of signs of age, but I'm not well-versed in these types of items.
The bottom is not flat (it wobbles) and the material feels like a smooth pebble you'd skip stones with at the lake.
Looking for some general help.
Thank you!

 

Egyptian.

 

Thanks! How old would it be?

 

That's an unknown to me. Did not see similar looking objects in my short search.

 

That does appear to be a recent Egyptian souvenir. Hieroglyphics were a formal writing system. They weren't used for decorative purposes; they communicated information. And they were inscribed. This is a fragment of a Canopic jar for comparison.

Debora

 

I'm searching now too. Can't find anything close. Will report back. Hopefully someone else will know something as well. Thanks again for your help.

 

Thanks Deborah!

 

I don't want to beat a dead horse, but are we sure this is Egyptian? Or if it is, could it be a Grand Tour item? It might not even be hieroglyphics at all but just a pictorial decoration from some other culture, even.
The vase seems to have a lot of age on it, and I'm having a hard time believing this is modern. There are cracks and things that are not consistent with a new item, and do not look deliberately put there as some kind of aged "effect", either.
Thoughts?
Thank you!

 

I suppose you could argue that the lion was an Assyria/Mesopotamia sort of thing, but I would agree that this is a tourist-type thingy and most probably quite recent. I don't think the glyphs are sufficiently well done, or properly done, to count as actual writing. If genuinely old, they would not be there as simple decoration, which seems to be what they are here.

 

Can you say more about what it's made from? Clay? If you kinda flick your fingernail against it, how's it sound?

 

Hi, It's made from a very smooth stone. The kind of stone that you'd find at a lakeside that would be perfect for skipping. Very smooth and soft.It looks like it's made from that kind of stone...not clay. I just don't understand how it could be new from looking at the pics. It has so many signs of age...it doesn't look like a fake. Although, it doesn't seem Egyptian to me either, and I certainly don't know what it is. Just because I'm questioning doesn't mean that I don't appreciate the comments...I most certainly do. If you flick your fingernail on the bottom, it doesn't make a loud sound. Just a soft, quiet sound. No resonance.

 

I agree, it appears to be a recent souvenir decorator item, with a design pattern that looks like "hieroglyphics." There just isn't any indication of wear that would indicate it's old.

Whether or not it's actually Egyptian is not clear, but it does not really affect the value, in any case.

It also is most likely clay, not stone, based on the way it is made. It would be very difficult to make handles like this, to say nothing of the decorations, out of stone. The rough edges are indicative of clay, as are the apparent fire clouds on the bottom, and the cracks...which wouldn't look like that on stone.

 

I'm with the others, a souvenir inspired by ancient Egypt.
Vessels from ancient cultures have balanced designs, which make them look far more harmonious than this.
This item was made in a fast and careless way, making every design look sloppy. The insides of the handles aren't finished to facilitate use and carrying, like those on ancient vessels would be.

Crude doesn't mean old. People in the past made things with great care. There was no mass consumption, nothing was thrown out and replaced because it went out of fashion, so utensils had to be good and easy to use. Items made for ceremonial use had to be made with respect for the purpose.

The lions could be inspired by Egyptian lions, albeit in a rather crude way, just like the other design and script elements are a bit 'rough around the edges'.

Egyptian lion:


http://www.ancient-egypt.co.uk/metropolitan/pages/Dynasty 4, life sized Lion.htm

 

Now where can I find me one of those lions??!

 

All right, thanks guys. I appreciate all the help!

 

Maybe two, one on either side of the front door?

 

The style and grace on that lion is just fantastic. To think on an object of such age, to be so timeless...

 

Yes, it is. Egyptian art looks very harmonious. It is usually perfect in beauty, elegance, and execution.