Works of Art
Cycladic Marble Plate
Period: Cycladic II, Keros Syros, Middle of the 3rd Millennium B.C.
Culture: Cycladic, Greek World
Category: Array
Dimensions: Diameter: 39.4 cm
Price: POR
Provenance:
Ex Collection Schneider
Ex-property of "the Alice H. Decosta revocable Trust"; ex-Swiss private collection; R. Symes, London, 1978; B. C. Holland, Chicago, 1983
Condition: The plate is intact except for some small chips on the edge
Description
The plate is intact except for some small chips on the edge. Its dimensions are well above average (diam. about 15-20 cm).
The external profile is convex and regular, and a deep-set groove underlines the horizontal, rounded edge. The bottom of the plate presents a wide depression, which forms the base and balances the piece. The interior edge still shows traces from the carving of the vessel.
With the kandiles, the low and wide plates - which can be compared to our fruit plates - are one of the most distinctive forms of Cycladic stone vessels. The purpose of these plates is unclear, but most of the examples whose provenance is known were found in necropoleis, often associated with marble figurines; this might suggest that they could have served as cult vessels during the funerary banquets.
Bibliography
Published:
- THIMME J.(ed.), Art and Culture of the Cyclades, Karlsruhe, 1976, p. 319, fig. 303.
Parallels:
- GETZ-GENTLE, P., Stone Vessels of the Cyclades in the Early Bronze Age, Madison (Wisconsin), 1996, pl. 50, 52-54.
- THIMME J. (ed.), Art and Culture of the Cyclades, Karlsruhe, 1976, pp. 318-319, fig. 295-305.
- GETZ-GENTLE, Stone Vessels of the Cyclades in the Early Bronze Age, University Park, Pennsylvania, 1996, pl. 50, 52, 53, and 54.