Unknown Maker, Cypriote

Cyprus’s location made it an important center for trade in the classical world, linking Greece with civilizations in the Near East and Egypt. The influence of the Aegean world on Cypriote art and culture is visible in the stylistic shifts in their pottery. This well-preserved, geometric storage jar (amphora) is an example of bichrome ware, a style of pottery that evolved in Cyprus as a result of increased contact with the Phoenicians. The amphora was common in antiquity; it was customarily used for the transportation and storage of perishables, such as grapes, olive oil, and wine.