Works of Art
Cypriot Painted Ceramic Oinochoe
Period: Iron Age, (ca. 650-550 B.C.)
Culture: Cypriot
Category: Array
Dimensions: Height: 31.8 cm
Price: CHF 52000, USD 52000
Provenance: Sotheby's London, Antiquities, July 9, 1994, lot 294.
Condition: Intact and in excellent condition, with full pigmentation remaining.
Description
The large vase is characterized by its large globular belly, richly decorated with large concentric circles in dark brown slip, filled with graduated concentric bands. A similar circular motif around the shoulder forms interlocking bands. There are small concentric circles in the background, while the front is adorned with a wheel-shaped motif and the sides with two plain circular motifs of similar size. On the shoulder, a scene depicts the figure of a calf (?) standing to one side of a lotus motif, the decoration with the white-painted details. This piece is dated to the period of the apogee of Cypriot pottery manufacture, when potters reach the height of their skills in modeling as well as painting.
Bibliography
- KARAGEORGHIS V., “Ancient Art from Cyprus, the Cesnola Collection in the Metropolitan Museum of Art”, New York, 2000, pp. 77ss., p. 92, no. 145 et 148.
- SPITERIS T., “The Art from Cyprus”, New York, 1970, p. 107.