Cypriot Painted Geometric Vessel Group

Carved in the round as an advancing bull with its tail placed between the hindlegs, thick fur to the throat; the fill between the legs with traces of cross-hatching in red pigment; old collector's label '477' to flange base; mounted on an old wooden collector's stand with painted numeral '193' to one face. 1.29 kg total, 24 cm including stand



Base and collection numbers suggesting it may have been deaccessioned from The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Joseph Klein collection, formed in New York between 1941-1980, thence by descent. with Bonhams, London, 24 October 2012, no.3. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.

This possibly represents a bull or bull calf associated with the Apis cult.

A wide bowl with carinated lip and lateral lug handle on a flat base; decorated on both sides with umber pigment on a white slip; to the outer face, a snake and band motif; to the inner face, multiple bands of crescentic, triangular net and zig-zag motifs; to the underside, low-relief inscription (partly legible). 535 grams, 23.5 cm



Tackey Crist, Cyprus Museum collection, NC, USA. Ex Leland Little auctions. with Cyprus Museum of Jacksonville, North Carolina, USA.

The piece is reminiscent of earlier white-painted wares of the middle-late Cypriot period. Although wheel-made white-painted ware is known from as far back as the Late Cypriot period (1300-1200 B.C.), the present piece must date to the Roman occupation of the island (from approximately the 2nd century B.C. onwards) because of the reserved (not impressed) Latin characters extant on the underside. The characters appear to have been applied to the clay whilst the vessel was wet. The inscription is impossible to decipher fully but contains the characters ... IN... ..AN.... ...DE M..... The use of 'D rather than Greek delta 'Δ' implies a Latin text.

Including fragments of bowls, amphorae, pots, jugs and other items. 5.49 kg total, 3.8-22.5 cm



From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.