This object is a large trefoil-rimmed/mouthed jug, oinochoe. It has a wide elongated globular body, almost spherical, shallow ring base of considerable width in comparison to the rim, short concave neck of narrow diameter, small turned-in trefoil-mouth/rim; rolled double vertical handle rises above the rim to mid-shoulder. It is Bichrome Ware. Overall very well-preserved. It has a reddish-brown slip with dark and light brownish-red painted designs. The trefoil mouth of the spout is obviously very well worn and the lip of the rim is smoothed from use. The handle is also very well used and the paint has been worn away quite a bit. The neck and handle of the jug are decorated with dark brown painted bands. The body of the vessel is decorated with with a circle motif - small collections of concentric circles intersect with and lie outside of larger concentric circles decorating the sides. Two sets of large concentric circles decorate the sides of the jug and small "bullseye" concenctric circles decorate the front and back as well as the sides. There are a few large circles on the sides that are reddish-brown, which makes this vessel Bichrome Ware. The shape and decoration of the vessel indicate that it is Iron Age. Comparanda: Cesnola Collection 1995.10.107, 1995.10.220. Note: Could be Black on Red??

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 has no marking for its original site registration number, so it is not possible to connect it with a specific export paper. By the process of elimination there are two likely options: Dept. of Antiquities document No. 3400 lists S.R.3259 as an "Iron age Bichrome jug with concentric circles and pinched mouth, 700-650BC" and Dept. of Antiquities document No. 5473 lists S.R. 3859 as an "Iron Age jug". It is most likely S.R. 3259.

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.

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