Cypriot Red Polished Ware Jug

£ 695.00

A Middle Bronze Age, Cypriot jug, formed of a red polished ware ceramic. The jug has a bulbous body with long cylindrical neck and flared mouth. A curved handle spans between the rim and shoulder on one side. A band of incised chevrons wraps around the body, with further linear bands above, below, and continuing up the neck. The jug is able to stand unaided.

Date: Circa 2100-1700 BC
Period: Middle Bronze Age
Provenance: From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.
Condition: Very good condition. There is a large chip to the base of the vessel, and a small chip to the rim by the handle. There are areas of deterioration in the slip, revealing the pale ceramic fabric underneath.

In stock

Red polished Ware is a type of pottery from the Cypriot Bronze Age; it was introduced as part of the Philia culture, a phase characterised by changes to the economy, technology and society of Cyprus. Pieces from this culture are distinct from the previous Chalcolithic period, with the transition between the two marked by population movement and local development and a change in artistic and pottery style.

Ceramics of this type were handmade and painted with red or red-brown slips and burnished to create a smooth lustre surface. Patterns and decorations were incised with a sharp cutting tool before being fired and contained a range of geometric, zoomorphic and ritualistic designs. The vessels take a wide variety of different forms ranging from jugs, much like this one, to dishes, bottles and zoomorphic pieces.

Weight 485.3 g
Dimensions W 11.1 x H 17.6 cm
Culture

Pottery and Porcelain

Region

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