Cypriot Cylindrical Bottle

An ancient Cypriot red polished cylindrical bottle with a spherical base and long cylindrical neck, with everted rim; fired red on one side and black on the other, with incised decoration filled with lime in patterns of checkered diamonds, and zig zagged lines.

Early Cypriot III,

Ca. 1600 - 1450 BC.

Height: 8 in. (20 cm).

Red and black polished ware pottery were prevalent in Bronze Age Cyprus (ca. 2400-1650 BC). The wares were widely used in daily life and exported abroad. They are found in many burial sites indicating its value and role in funerary practices. Polished ware was created through a specific firing process that reduced the oxygen supply in the kiln at the end of firing. This method was combined with incision and polishing to create the lustrous and durable contrasting finish.

cf.: V. Karageorghis, Ancient Art from Cyprus: The Cesnola Collection, (New York, 2000), p. 30.

Formerly in the collection of Jerome Eisenberg, New York, acquired at Sotheby’s, New York, November 24, 1986, lot 195.

Inv#: 9251

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