Ancient Cyprus, Late Bronze Age, Cypriot, ca. 1200 to 1050 BCE. A beautiful, hand-carved alabaster mortar presenting a flat bottom and thick walls that slope gently outwards to a wide rim above a shallow basin, all sitting upon 3 tapered legs. A lovely, scalloped pattern encompasses the exterior of the rim, while incised decoration adorns interior and exterior of the bowl with 4 concentric circles on the basin and 4 bands encircling the exterior walls. As ancient alabaster was mined in Egypt, mortars like this one were more often made of steatite or andesite, making this vessel a rare example of trans-Mediterranean trade. This mortar likely would have been used with a pestle for the grinding of pigments, medicines, or spices. Size: 6.3" Diameter x 2.1" H (16 cm x 5.3 cm)
Cf. Metropolitan Museum of Art, 74.51.5139.
Provenance: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, acquired before 2010
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#144112
Condition
Chipping to rim. Expected nicks and abrasions as shown, commensurate with age. Otherwise, excellent with nice remaining detail.