juglet
- Museum number
- 1888,0927.27
- Description
-
Pottery juglet in Proto Base Ring or early Base Ring I ware; hand-made; globular body on a ring base; tall narrow neck with a flaring trumpet mouth; single strap handle from shoulder to middle of the neck; ridge around neck at level of handle; decorated with two snakes in relief applied to the body; made of fine clay fired to a grey core, covered in a highly burnished slip with a metallic lustre; surface damaged in places.
- Production date
- 1650 BC-1450 BC
- Dimensions
-
Height: 13 centimetres
- Curator's comments
- The present item appears to be the vessel illustrated in Ohnefalsch-Richter 1893, 59 fig. 58, g, pl. CLXXI, g (a hetergeneous group of tomb finds dated '1885 & 1886'), and pl. CXXII, 5. Apart from saying that it came from Nicosia-Ayia Paraskevi, he does not detail the circumstances under which it was found or its location. Either he excavated or collected it for Warren or else studied it when it was in the latter's collection. The former suggestion is more likely, in which case it can be suggested that all of the material in sequence GR 1888,9-27 was excavated by OR for Warren.
For the type and parallels, see SCE IV/1C, 127-8 (PBR Type 1 C 1 a) and p. 149 (BR I Type V I D 1 b). The snake heads may symbolise rejuvenation or rebirth, which would be appropriate if the juglet contained an opium-based product used as a medicine or simply a perfumed oil to revive the senses. This has been suggested on account of the shape of the vessel - it resembles a poppy head when inverted - but this has not yet been confirmed by scientific analysis of the few vessels of this type which retain their contents.
Bibliography:
Ohnefalsch-Richter, M. 1893, Kypros, the Bible and Homer (London: Asher).
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1888
- Department
- Greek and Roman
- Registration number
- 1888,0927.27
