alabastron
- Museum number
- 1982,0729.37
- Description
-
Pottery alabastron in Plain White ware; wheelmade; elongated body on a rounded base; the body tapers inwards as its rises upwards, with a single incised ring towards the top; wide mushroom rim; small opening in centre of the top; made of pink-white clay with a fairly rough surface.
- Production date
- 350 BC-200 BC
- Dimensions
-
Height: 20.20 centimetres
- Curator's comments
- This is a clay version of the stone vessel type of Egytian origin popular in the Eastern Mediterranean from the seventh and sixths centuries BC onwards, including on Cyprus (Chavane 1990, 77-8). The largest group of ceramic alabastra from Cyprus was found in the so-called Cenotaph of Nikokreon near Enkomi (Karageorghis 1974, 197 and pls, CC-CCIV). The cenotaph is traditionally dated to around 311 BC on historical grounds, though its association with the last king of Salamis, whose memorial it was claimed to be, is uncertain and it may well belong to one of the new Macedonian rulers of the island contemporary with Nikokreon or later.
The majority of clay alabastra found here are closer to stone examples with a fairly regular width through much of the body, or at least a regular convex profile, and a constricted neck (sometimes with a prominent ridge). The present example is more elongated and tapers inwards towards the top.
For additional unprovenanced examples see: Nielsen and Wriedt Sørensen 2001, 37, B151-3 and pls 63,6 and 64,1-2 (Odense University); Nys K. and Åström P. 2004, 83-3 nos 939-44; Robertson 1986, 23 nos 82-4, 56.
Bibliography:
Chavanne M.-J. 1990, La nécrople d'Amathonte. Tombs 110-385. IV. Les petits objects (Nicosia).
Karageorghis V. 1974, Excavations in the Necropolis of Salamis III (Nicosia: Department of Antiquities).
Nielsen A. and L. Wriedt Sørensen 2001 (eds Nys K. and Åström P.), The vase collection in the Odense University. Corpus of Cypriote Antiquities 22. SIMA XX:22 (Jonsered: P. Åström).
Nys K. and Åström P. 2004, Cypriote antiquities in public collections in Denmark. Corpus of Cypriote Antiquities 23. SIMA XX:23 (Sävedalen: P. Åström).
Robertson L. 1986, The Brock University collection of Cypriote antiquities. Corpus of Cypriote Antiquities 11. SIMA XX:11 (Göteborg: Åström).
- Location
- On display (G72/dc6)
- Acquisition date
- 1982
- Department
- Greek and Roman
- Registration number
- 1982,0729.37
- Additional IDs
-
Previous owner/ex-collection number: 432-1883 (V&A number)
