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Unknown Maker, Cypriote

Tankard

Maker

Unknown Maker, Cypriote

Culture

Cypriote

Title

Tankard

Period

Late Bronze Age

Year

1400-1350 BCE

Medium

  • Terracota

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

  • Terracota

Materials

clay

Geography

Place Made: Cyprus

Dimensions

Height: 21 cm (8 1/4 inches) (to rim)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Museum Appropriation Fund

Object Number

39.124.2

Type

  • Ceramics

Publications

  • Books

Classical Vases, Excluding Attic Black-Figure, Attic Red-Figure and Attic White Ground

Exhibition History

Ancient Greek and Roman Galleries
Sep 22, 2010

Label copy

During the Late Bronze Age (about 1600 - 1050 BCE) Cyprus’s trading contacts expanded considerably, with handcrafted pottery as a primary export. White slipware vessels like this tankard were highly sought after for both their decorative and functional value. The white “slip,” the coating of thinned clay applied to the gray clay body, provided a background for various patterns in brown or black. Given their textural quality, these patterns might have been imitating ancient embroidery, woven designs, or etched decorations on gourds. The shape of this tankard, reminiscent of a gourd, would have made it an ideal vessel for wine drinking - a purpose that is further evidenced by the handle and high thumb hold that project from its lip.

Image use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use.

Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Unknown Maker, Cypriote
Tankard, 1400-1350 BCE
Terracota
Height: 21 cm (8 1/4 inches) (to rim)
Museum Appropriation Fund 39.124.2

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Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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