Ancient Greek, Cyprus, Cypro-Archaic Period, ca. 750 to 500 BCE. A round, shallow terracotta plate with twin loop handles projecting from its sides and black-on-white painted motifs on the interior and exterior. The interior has a tight spiral design in tondo at its center, with a wider black border. Another black ring denotes the border between the base and walls of the vessel, and a third follows the rim and the top of the handles. Size: 11.7" L x 8.9" W x 1.2" H (29.7 cm x 22.6 cm x 3 cm)

The exterior presents more complex motifs: tight black rings are on the lower body of the vessel (and flow into wider lines outlining the underside of each handle); the slightly pronounced foot ring has a wide, striped pattern. Inside of that is another black border, and then a design divided into four quadrants, each marked by a swastika (gammadion) and divided by cross-hatched triangles. These surround a design of further tight, concentric rings around a circle divided into eight triangular sections of alternating white and black.

Ancient Cyprus was positioned perfectly between the Near East and the Mediterranean world, and its kings grew rich from lucrative trade between those places. For example, the royal tombs at Salamis, which were built during this time period, contain a wealth of grave goods from both east and west. Pottery vessels like this one, with the swastika as a good luck symbol, demonstrate the vibrant artistic skill that this wealth supported.



Provenance: Ex- Collection of James Farmer, Maryland, collected from major galleries and auction houses between 1995 and 2005

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#120336

Two small chips on interior, with expected wear and pigment loss, especially on the rim. Painted motifs are vivid on both interior and exterior.