The Late Bronze Age was a dynamic period
in the
history of ancient Cyprus. Overseas
trade
increased in importance and Cypriot
pottery of
this era has been found in large
quantities on the
mainland. It was also the first truly
urban period
in the island’s history witnessing the
growth of
large towns such as Enkomi and Kition in
the
coastal regions. Important cultural
changes
included the introduction of writing in
the form
of a Cypro-Minoan script. The arts
flourished,
metal production increased and jewelry,
faience
and ivories were produced under the
influence of
imports from Syria, Egypt and the
Aegean. This
energy and experimentation was nowhere
more
apparent than in the beautiful
terracotta wares
which reached a new level of excellence.
This terracotta askos is an example of
the so-
called ‘Base Ring Ware.’ Named after its
shape,
this was the earliest ware to display a
standing
base formed by a ring applied to the
lower part
of the vessel. This shows that it was
intended to
stand on a flat surface. Prior to this
the bases of
pottery vessels were curved or rounded
suggesting they were suspended or pushed
into
soft ground to make them stand up. The
introduction of the base-ring has been
linked to
changes in local architecture and
improved living
conditions. The terracotta was shaped by
hand
and fired to a very high temperature
giving it a
metallic ring when struck and unusually
thin
walls.
Pieces of this quality were buried in
tombs to
contain the sustenance required by the
deceased
in the afterlife. The surface is covered
with a
dark brown umber glaze with added white
linear
decoration. The spout is in the form a
horned
bull’s head. Evidence for cattle on the
island of
Cyprus before the Bronze Age is
virtually non-
existent, the main large animals being
deer,
sheep and goats. During the Early Bronze
Age
they seem to have been imported in large
numbers and quickly provided a new
source of
inspiration for native craftsmen.
Admired for
their strength and virility, the bull
soon acquired
a spiritual significance. It is unclear
if the animal
was actually deified (as it was in Sumer
during
this period), but bull horns seem to
have been
mounted on poles to protect against evil
spirits.
A loop handle arches from the bull’s
head and
joins a cylindrical funnel spout.
This exceptionally well-preserved vessel
is a
wonderful example of the inventiveness
and
character of early Cypriot pottery. (AM)
Published: D. Morris, ‘The Art of
Ancient Cyprus,’
(Oxford, 1985), p. 200, pl. 230.
