Mushroom-lipped jug. Phoenicia

The jug with mushroom-shaped mouth is one of the most characteristic vessels of Phoenician ceramics. It gets its name from the flat, widened form of the edge. These are well known vessels on the Lebanese coast, from where they originated, and in other places in which there was a Phoenician presence. Along the Andalusian coasts, they are always completely covered with red engobe, while in other areas, they are only covered in part or not at all. In general, the jug with mushroom-shaped mouth had a funerary function, and was used to store perfumes and oils which were used in burials, as can be seen in the tombs of Trayamar (Málaga) and Almuñécar (Granada). Nonetheless, this piece from Castillo de Doña Blanca appeared in an area of dwellings, indicating that it was an object which was also used in daily life, in addition to a vessel commercialised by the Phoenicians for use by their Tartessian customers.