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)

Description (Physical description)
Catalogue card for 1951.537 A-D: 'Four 'canister'-shaped buff ware, wheel-made vessels of a type peculiarly distinctive of the Nal Culture. B: Rather reddish brown ware. Decorated as A but with red and black paint and one panel of 'pipal' tree leaf design. Outer rim considerably chipped.'
Event Date 1951
Author: maa

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)
Canister of wheel-made, reddish brown coloured Nal ware, with monochrome painted decoration in black. Decoration on body: two panels with two small triangles and one large pipal leaf filled with diagonal lines; two panels with two equal-armed, multi-outlined crosses surrounding a central circle. Decoration on top: repeating pattern of double-outlined stepped motifs. Vessel has: a flat, circular base; slightly flared walls; ledge around the top with a protruding edge; narrowed circular opening with upright rim.
Event Date 26/9/2023
Author: Lizzy Peneycad