Egyptian miniature amphora with baker's oven and inscription above 'PANAT'

ITEM: Miniature amphora with baker's oven and inscription above 'PANAT'
MATERIAL: Pottery
CULTURE: Egyptian
PERIOD: 2nd - 1st Century B.C
DIMENSIONS: 69 mm x 37 mm
CONDITION: Good condition
PROVENANCE: Ex U.S Gallery, Ex American private collection, acquired before 2000s
PARALLEL: BRITISH MUSEUM Collection, Accession number 1895,1020.2

Comes with Certificate of Authenticity and Export Licence. If you are from outside the European Union, we will have to apply for the export licence again for your country, this takes 3 to 5 weeks and has a cost of 5% of the hammer price, this amount will be added to the final invoice.

Miniature amphoras from the Egyptian Hellenistic period (c. 4th–1st century BCE) were small ceramic vessels that often served as votive offerings, perfume containers, or symbolic representations of larger transport amphoras. These miniature vessels reflect the blending of Greek and Egyptian artistic traditions following Alexander the Great’s conquest and the establishment of the Ptolemaic dynasty. Unlike their full-sized counterparts used for storing wine, oil, or grain, these tiny amphoras were more decorative or ritualistic in function. Their production and distribution across Egypt, particularly in Alexandria and other key trade centers, highlight their role in both domestic and religious contexts.

One intriguing variation of these miniature amphoras features iconography depicting a baker’s oven, a motif associated with sustenance, prosperity, and daily life. The presence of such imagery suggests that these vessels may have been dedicated to deities linked to nourishment and abundance, such as Demeter, the Greek goddess of grain and agriculture, or Isis, who was revered for her protective and nurturing aspects. Bakers and grain merchants may have used these amphoras as offerings in temples or shrines, seeking divine favor for their trade. The imagery of ovens, often stylized in relief or painted onto the vessels, serves as a rare glimpse into the importance of bread production in the Hellenistic economy of Egypt.

Archaeological finds of these miniature amphoras in both temple sites and domestic settings indicate their widespread cultural significance. Some were discovered in funerary contexts, suggesting that they may have played a role in ensuring the deceased’s sustenance in the afterlife. Others were found in association with workshops or market areas, reinforcing their connection to trade and daily commerce. Today, these delicate artifacts, housed in museum collections, provide valuable insights into the intersection of Greek and Egyptian artistic traditions and the economic and religious life of Hellenistic Egypt.