The kyathos was a shallow, broad bowl with an elongated and tall handle. It is thought to have been used much like a modern ladle, namely, to scoop liquids out of a larger bowl or vase. This kyathos appears to originate from Canosa, a town in southern Apulia.
Apulia is one of the richest areas of Italy in terms of its archaeology. In the Classical and Hellenistic periods, numerous Greek colonies settled in the region, resulting in an extensive tradition of pottery derived from there. To the Romans, this part of Italy was known as Magna Graecia – ‘Great Greece’. The settlements of which Magna Graecia was composed were instrumental in bringing Greek culture to Italy.
To find out more about different types of Greek vessel please see our relevant blog post: Collecting Greek Vases.