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Jug in the Shape of a Barrel

A work made of terracotta, bichrome.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of terracotta, bichrome.

Date:

750-550 BCE

Artist:

Cypriot

About this artwork

Cyprus was an important center for trade and commerce throughout antiquity. By the Late Bronze Age (about 1600–1050BC), the island was producing large quantities of copper, which lured adventurous seafaring merchants to its shores in the hope of exchanging their cargo for the prized metal. Imported goods and migrant artists profoundly influenced Cypriot potters and painters, who began to create and decorate their wares differently. New products served the Cypriots’ domestic and ritual needs or made their way on outbound ships to distant lands, where they in turn inspired local artists.

A container for liquids, this vase features an elliptical body with a nipple at both ends and a vertical handle rising from the shoulder to the neck. It is decorated in bichrome (two-color) technique against a light background. The body is encircled with vertical rings of black and broad bands of reddish brown. The middle of the body features a band of concentric circles.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of the Ancient Mediterranean and Byzantium

Culture

Ancient Cypriot

Title

Jug in the Shape of a Barrel

Place

Cyprus (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

750 BCE–550 BCE

Medium

terracotta, bichrome

Dimensions

32.4 × 33 × 24.4 cm (12 3/4 × 13 × 9 5/8 in.)

Credit Line

Museum Purchase Fund

Reference Number

1926.435

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/110643/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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