Handmade in Egypt
Handmade Ceramic Vase · Fayoum
Hand-shaped from dark Aswan clay and decorated with geometric medallions and sculptural ibis heads, this elongated vase is the signature work of Fayoum ceramist Saleem al-Sattar. A strictly decorative object - it does not hold water - its narrow horizontal form makes it a natural shelf piece. The ibis, now extinct in Egypt but once sacred to the god Thoth, appears here as both personal motif and quiet act of remembrance.
MORE ABOUT THIS OBJECT
The Craft. Made from dark Nile clay sourced in Aswan, this vase is built and finished by hand before decoration is applied using hand-carved stamps — geometric medallions and sculptural ibis heads pressed directly into the clay surface. Unlike the painted and glazed work of many Fayoum potters, Saleem al-Sattar's pieces are fired to a matte finish that preserves the natural warmth of the clay itself.
The Heritage. The roots of pottery-making in the verdant oasis of Fayoum go far back in history, some saying to pharaonic times, some further back still, as certain techniques that do not involve the use of a wheel are still practiced there today (such as in al-Nazla village). Other villages in the oasis, such as Tunis, have turned to pottery-making in more recent times. The craft has flourished in Tunis since the Swiss-born potter Evelyne Porret made the village her home and opened, together with her husband Michel Pastore, a Pottery School there in the 90s, to provide the village children with the skills needed for their innate artistic talents to emerge and bear fruit. Today, those students have opened their own workshops, exhibiting true artistic talent and reverence for their mentor whilst keeping the ancient craft alive.
Maker. Saleem al-Sattar is a master ceramist working alongside his brother Abd al-Sattar in their workshop in Fayoum. Where many graduates of the Fayoum Pottery School work in the vivid, painted style for which the school is known, Saleem has developed a quieter aesthetic - raw and refined in equal measure, with a minimalist sense that sets his work apart. His signature motif is the ibis: a bird now extinct in Egypt, but once sacred to the god Thoth, ancient deity of wisdom, writing, and knowledge. Its recurring presence across Saleem's work is both a personal preoccupation and a quiet act of remembrance.
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+ SAMEER EL-SATTAR
