- Also known as
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White Painted Ware
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White Painted
- Scope note
- The term White Painted Ware can be applied to wares of Cyprus from different periods, namely the Bronze and Iron Ages. They should therefore be used in conjunction with relevant Period Culture in order to distinguish them.
Bronze Age White Painted Ware was manufactured from the Middle Cypriot to the Late Cypriot. White Painted vessels were hand-made in reddish or brownish coloured clay, covered in a pale slip, usually white to buff, but sometimes orange or brown. They were decorated with geometric or linear patterns painted in red, brown or black. The category includes the hand-made wares of the Middle Cypriot to Late Cypriot I period. But wheel-made wares appeared from Late Cypriot I and tend to be referred to as White Painted Wheel-made Ware.
Historically, the hand-made wares have been described by numerical divisions (II-VI) which imply chronological sequencing and these are described under the type series. However, it has long been recognised that regionalism is an important variable in distinguishing types (Åström 1972, Eriksson 2009; Frankel 1974; Maguire 1991). In consequence, compromises have been reached in retaining the old classification system, but with modifications that acknowledge the importance of regional and functional groupings. See Type Series field.
Iron Age White Painted Ware vessels, all wheel-made, were made on Cyprus during the Cypro-Geometric, Cypro-Archaic and Cypro-Classical periods. Ceramic vessels were wheel-made in buff or brown clay which was covered in a brown, buff or greenish slip and decorated in red, brown or black paint. The ware is further classified by seven divisions (I-VII) based on chronological stylistic characteristics and recorded in the Type Series field.
Bibliography:
Åström P. 1972, 'The Swedish Cyprus Expedition. Vol. IV/ 1B The Middle Cypriot Bronze Age', Stockholm.
Åström P. 1972, 'The Swedish Cyprus Expedition Vol. IV/IC. The Late Cypriote Bronze Age architecture and pottery', Lund.
Eriksson K. 2009, "Regionalism and Island-wide Analysis: Some Observations Regarding White Painted V and VI Wares from Middle Cypriot III / Late Cypriot I Tombs from the North West Region of Cyprus", In: I. Hein (ed.), 'The formation of Cyprus in the 2nd Millennium B.C. Studies in regionalism during the Middle and Late Bronze Ages. Proceedings of a workshop held at the 4th Cyprological Congress. May 2nd 2008, Lefkosia, Cyprus', Vienna, 49–64.
Frankel D. 1974, 'Middle Cypriot White Painted pottery. An analytical study of the decoration', (Studies in Mediterranean Archaeology 42), Gotëburg.
Maguire, L. C. 1991, "The classification of Middle Bronze Age painted pottery: Wares, styles...workshops?" in J. A. Barlow, D.L.Bolger, and B.Kling, (eds), 'Cypriot ceramics: Reading the prehistoric record', Philadelphia, 59–65.
- Narrower terms
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White Painted Wheel-made Ware
