Bowl with Red and Black Surface

The black top of this hemispherical bowl blends into the orange and red lower section of the exterior, while the interior is an unvaried black. Three pierced lug handles that appear above the rim along with a fourth that projects from the side of the bowl may have been used to suspend the bowl or to store it when not in use.

The potters of Cyprus in the Bronze Age were quite creative, which resulted in a wide variety of shapes and designs in their hand-formed and individually decorated products. The black rim on a red body seen here appears to mimic pre-dynastic Egyptian “black-topped jars,” but may have been an independent invention of Early Bronze Age Cypriot potters. An earthy red slip was applied and burnished prior to firing to create the polished surface, and the different colors would have been achieved by manipulating the kiln environment directly around the exterior of the bowl during firing.

Provenance

Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.

William H. Smith, Alexandria, VA, 1959-1961 [mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1973, by purchase.