Red polished ware vessel in anthropoid form with
incised markings over whole; trio of lower bodies,
linked in the horizontal plane, form the feet and
base of the vessel, their necks rising through the
legs and fuse to enter base of a fourth jug forming
body, before giving way to neck and head; narrow
spout protrudes from top of head; crude, rather
“ape-like” features moulded in a grimace, flanked
by large, drilled ears; arms protrude laterally
forming handles.
This piece marks a period spanning from the Late
Bronze Age (1650-1050 BCE) to the early Iron Age
(1050- ACE 350). Red polished ware formed a
dominant ware of the Cypriot Bronze Age. The clay
was covered with red slip, which was then burnished
to produce a high polish. Today, this shiny polish
has survived, creating glinting highlights.
Many of the pottery vessels found in the ancient
tombs of Cyprus are adorned with representations
of humans, animals, plants or inanimate objects. In
this instance the vessel itself is transformed into a
human.
This piece takes the Cypriot process of pluralization
– started at the beginning of the Bronze Age – to a
zenith of complexity. Multi-bodied vessels were not
uncommon during this period, however rarely take
an animate form and when they do there is a clear
bias toward animal-shapes, rather than human
shapes, making this an exceptionally rare item.
A great deal more work would have been involved in
its production; from the offset it was clearly
intended for an exalted status amid the retinue of
funerary objects. The standard of finish is
exceptional. The contours of the body exaggerated
in one direction or another and relief elements
applied to the surface, in this case, the face. Incised
decoration is commonly seen on the surface of Red
Polished Ware and are usually, as in this case,
abstract patterns cut into the clay at the point when
it is ‘leather hard’, before firing. After the incisions
have been made they have been rendered more
conspicuous by the addition of a white in-filling,
making them stand out against the dark, red
background.
Human figures in ancient Cypriot art are not realistic
representations of the human form, rather highly
stylized and display deliberate modification of the
human shape. Has been looked down on critics and
art historians. Today, however a very different view
prevails and it is generally agreed that these artists
were not attempting to reproduce realistic shapes
but rather the exploitation of a natural shape for
symbolic purposes, which they achieved via
schematization, stylization, stereotyping and
abstraction.
The lack of similar vessels may be explained by the
obstacle of how to present items as vessels rather
than figurines.
There is a small group of figures from the Middle
Bronze Age that herald the new wave of human
representations styles about to arrive in the Late
Bronze Age. Long-eared figures.
A tradition for vessel-shaped figures began in Early
Bronze Age, where small human faces are placed as
decorations on the rims, necks or handles of bowls.
By a slight extension of this process, the vessel
becomes a figure. This type of pottery is incredibly
rare.
Cf. The Art of Ancient Cyprus, Desmond Morris
(Phaidon, Oxford, 1985) pp. 162-164.
- (LO.1231)
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