Qaśwah and Sinsénet
Kathryn Hanna
Qaśwah and Sinsénet
Kathryn Hanna
Reference
SAS0154_005
Year
2022
Dimensions (cm)
Height: 60
Length: 80
Depth: 40
Length: 80
Depth: 40
Materials
Plaster, Shellac, Gold Wax on Cherry Base
Current Location
Glasgow
Suitable Locations for the Work
- Indoors
- On a plinth
- In a case
Background, history, commissioner of the work
Created for 'Modern Abstractions Hide Ancient Realities' solo show exhibition at the MacLaurin Art Gallery, Ayr, 30th July - 16th October 2022.
This exhibition explored religious consciousness, what it means to be ‘sacred’ and how the word ‘religion’ can be misinterpreted. Inspired by the writings of archeologist André Parrot, scholars Carlin A Barton and Daniel Boyarin.
Thematic/contextual information
According to ‘The Ceramic Vocabulary of the Old Testament’, by James L. Kelso and W. F. Albright:
- a ‘Qaśwah’ was the golden wine pitcher used during the ritual of offering drinks.
- a ‘Sinsénet’ was a golden vessel or urn which held manna, a food given to the Israelites in a miracle during their journey through the wilderness to the Promised Land.
Both vessels resided within the Tabernacle, a portable place of worship carried by the Israelites. This work explores how the vessels have become sacralised and examines their potential to enclose hidden meanings or lost knowledge.