Protohistoric Pottery From Ruinen-wommels – Iron Age, 7th Century B.c. – Zylmann Collection

A fine and rare piece of protohistoric pottery in finely made ceramic, with a carefully smoothed and burnished surface, globular in shape with a pronounced shoulder and fitted with two small handles. The surface bears geometric decoration characteristic of the Ruinen-Wommels tradition, notably composed of triangular motifs.

Ruinen-Wommels pottery belongs to the protohistoric ceramic traditions of the northern Netherlands and the Frisian region. It is particularly distinguished by its carefully fashioned forms, dark burnished surfaces and geometric decoration. This production is associated with communities of the coastal regions of Friesland and East Frisia during the Iron Age.

The piece is accompanied by an old handwritten collector's label bearing the following inscription:

“Ruinen-Wommels Keramik. Eisenzeit, aus einer Wurtensiedlung. Geschenk [von] Geffens an Peter Zylmann.”

i.e.: “Ruinen-Wommels pottery. Iron Age, from a settlement on a terp (Wurt). Gift from Geffens to Peter Zylmann.”

This label links the piece to the collection of Peter Zylmann (1884–1976), an important figure in the study of the prehistory of East Frisia.

Born in Leer, East Frisia, Peter Zylmann was a secondary-school teacher, school administrator and regional prehistory scholar. He devoted much of his research to the ancient history of East Frisia and to the collection and study of archaeological remains from the region.

His major work, Ostfriesische Urgeschichte, published in 1933, constitutes an important synthesis of the prehistory of East Frisia and brought together the archaeological knowledge and discoveries available at the time. The work was subsequently reprinted, reflecting its lasting importance for the study of the region.

After the Second World War, Zylmann worked with the archaeologist Werner Haarnagel in the establishment, in 1951, of the Arbeitsgruppe Vorgeschichte der Ostfriesischen Landschaft, an organisation intended in particular to coordinate the collection of archaeological finds and to promote prehistoric research in East Frisia.

His research focused notably on prehistoric settlements, surface finds and evidence of ancient occupation in the region. His work therefore relates directly to the archaeological context referred to by the old term “Wurtensiedlung” appearing on the label accompanying this vessel.

The presence of this old label constitutes a particularly interesting element of the object's historical provenance.

Condition: Very good overall condition for protohistoric pottery. The vessel is nearly complete, with old traces, a few cracks and a loss to the neck.

Dimensions: 18 cm in diameter; 16 cm in height.

Price excludes shipping costs.

Police Register Reference: A219

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