The is object is a basket-handled pitcher with side spout. It has a buff slip with dark brown painted designs- White Painted Ware. The base of the object indicates that it is wheel-made. The small basket-handle attached to the upturned lip of the rim and is decorated with the thick bands of dark brown paint that act as continuations from the bands decoration the neck and body of the vessel and a thick circle decorates the very top of the handle. This circle is best visible from a bird's-eye-view of the object when it stands upright. The rim and base of the basket-handle (at the points where it connects with the rim) are decorated with a thick dark band of paint. The neck of the vessel is decorated with three evenly-spaced thin bands of dark brown. These are followed by one large thick band that connects the neck to the shoulder. There are three more evenly-spaced thick bands of dark brown on the shoulder. These bands are located just above the side spout. The spout itself is decorated with dark paint means to outline buff triangles. There is an intersecting "wavy" band that connects with the side spout and encircles the vessel's body. The wavy line is the same decoration seen on 1995.58.1. Directly beneath the spout there are three more evenly-spaced thin bands of dark brown paint. As the object's body begins to taper in towards the base, there is one more band of dark brown that is approximately the same thickness as the wavy line. The base of the object is a pedestal base that is also painted dark brown. The pedestal is chipped- modern break. The very bottom of the pedestal foot is marked with the object's original site registration (S.R.) number 3859. This shape originated in the Late Cypriot III period (1225-1050BC), but continued to be very popular through the Cypro-Geometric period (1050-750BC). This particualr vessel is definitely Iron Age and most likely Cypro-Geometric. Comparanda: Cesnola Collection 1995.10.226 (shape only), 1995.10.236 (design on handle especially).

This object was donated to the National Hellenic Museum by Drs. Andreas and Vivian Kodros on July 23, 2002. The deed of gift claims that the vessel was acquired from "Cypriot excavations", but does not specify which excavations.

After his death in 2002, the National Hellenic Museum acquired copies of the export papers for ancient artifacts that Dr. Kodros collected on his trips to Cyprus. This object is only one that has the original S.R.# imprinted on its base so it can be conclusively linked to an export paper. S.R.# 3859 is found on Export Paper #5473 and the object was exported from Cyprus along with several other ancient artifacts on May 22, 1967.

There were numerous Iron Age excavations in Cyprus during the 1950s and 1960s (Archaeology in Cypus, 1958, A.H.S. Megaw). It is not possible to determine which excavations this artifact was obtained from without further research, but it was exported legally. The resources in Karageorghis' ARCHAEOLOGY IN CYPRUS 1960 -1985 might be helpful to look at in order to narrow down which site this artifact might have come from.

The paperwork suggests that the object dates to the Iron Age and I agree with that assessment.

The content on this site is made available for research and education purposes only. The use of these materials may be restricted by law or the donor.

Any other use, such as exhibition, publication, or commercial use, is not allowed except by written permission in accordance with the NHM Image Rights and Reproduction Policy.

For questions on image rights and reproduction, please contact nhmcollections@hellenicmuseum.org