Most Likely
Year: 2024
Production: Limited edition
Material: Stoneware, PLA, synthetic string
Commission: The Israel Museum for the Most Likely exhibition
Curator: Nurith Goshen & Oded Friedland
The project was created for an exhibition exploring unresolved archaeological mysteries – ancient objects whose original function remains unknown. Designers were invited to approach these objects using design methodologies, adding observation, experimentation and speculation to the archaeological research.
Reddish was invited to investigate a rare, horn-shaped bottle found in a burial cave in Beth Shemesh (Israel), alongside other objects interred with the deceased.
The investigation began by questioning some of the existing assumptions about the bottle and examining it as a functional object: how it might have been held, positioned and used, how its material conducts heat and cold, and how it absorbs liquids.
Rather than attempting to determine a single function, the research developed into several possible scenarios of use – domestic, funerary, ritual and military. For each scenario, speculative elements were designed, transforming different interpretations of the archaeological object into tangible propositions.
the original bottle, 1100-1200 BC
an oil lamp for domestic use, with two lighting positions
a perfume bottle to elevate the soul of the deceased
further ideas for possible uses: a mashrabiya, a pre-battle energy drink, an oil-pouring vessel for a priest, a bottle for breast milk, and a nest for pet wasps
different holding positions