Description

Greece, Late Helladic IIIA, ca. 1400-1300 BC. Pottery stirrup vessel of squat broad form with concentric rings and geometric designs painted in brown slip. Unique in form, stirrup jars were first produced in Crete towards the end of the Middle Minoan Period (1700-1550 B.C.). This unusual pottery type is also known as the “false neck amphora” because what should function as the vessel’s mouth between two handles is a false spout that is capped by a clay disk, the liquid actually pouring from a spout on the shoulder of the vase. The stirrup jar is particularly suited for the transport and pouring of liquids – the false spout and stirrup handles are well designed for holding, while the narrow neck of the true spout allowed for easy control of the liquid’s flow. The small spout of the stirrup jar would also have been easy to seal up for transport and to prevent the scent of perfumed oil from evaporating. 4-1/4"H x 4-1/2"W. Confer: L. Marangou, Ancient Greek Art: the N. P. Goulandris Collection, (Athens, 1985), p. 40, no. 21.

Provenance: Ex-prominent New York City Gallery.

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Condition

Intact with minor chipping and overall surface wear, as shown.