Context (Field collection)
Catalogue card notes: ‘collected by Colonel Benn early in the present [20th] century in S. Baluchistan about 100-200 miles south of Kelat. It came from grass covered mounds.’ Although no findspot was given when the collection arrived in 1951, the British Museum also has a similar group of material collected by Colonel Benn and donated by him in 1913 (BM 1913,0308) which they list as from Nal [Naal]. It may then be that MAA’s collection is from the same site, and this has been tentatively added to the Place field. Colonel Benn was a political agent in Chagai, Balochistan from 1906-1912, which is likely when both the MAA and British Museum objects were collected.
Event Date 1906
Author: Imogen Gunn (admin)

Context (Acquisition Details)
Given by Colonel Robert A.E. Benn to his cousin, Charles Anthony Benn, whose widow, Leila Alice Russell Benn, presented it to the museum. 
Event Date 1951
Author: Lizzy Peneycad

Context (Analysis)
Described by the donor, Leila Alice Russell Benn, as ‘Mekrani pottery’. 
Event Date 1951
Author: Lizzy Peneycad

Description (Physical description)
Catalogue card for 1951.534 A-F: 'Five polychrome painted globular bowls of wheel-made buff ware characteristic of the Nal Culture. Well-defined foot. B: Single band of equal-armed multi-line outlined crosses surrounding a central circle.'
Event Date 1951
Author: maa

Context (Related Documents)
Note on catalogue card for 1951.534 A-F: 'characteristic of the Nal Culture (roughly contemporary with Akkad in Mesopotamia, ie. second half of 3rd millennium BC). The colouring is said to have faded since excavation.'
Event Date 1951
Author: Lizzy Peneycad

Context (Amendments / updates)
The accession register entry and catalogue card for 1951.534 A-F both mention 'Five polychrome painted bowls.' There are in fact six bowls numbered 1951.534, with suffixes spanning A to F.
Event Date 25/9/2023
Author: Lizzy Peneycad

Description (Physical description)
Carinated non-necked jar or bowl of wheel-made, buff coloured Nal ware, with polychrome painted decoration in black, red and yellow. Well-defined foot. Decoration above the carination, in black, consists of a band of equal-armed, multi-outlined crosses, each surrounding a central circle. Red and yellow paint between the black lines. Design bordered by black horizontal lines.
Event Date 25/9/2023
Author: Lizzy Peneycad