Late Hellenistic Period Terracotta Lagynos

Late Hellenistic period, c. 150-50BC, Salamis or Kiti, Cyprus.

This captivating large terracotta lagynos, crafted in the "painted white ware" style, is a quintessential example of Late Hellenistic pottery. The lagynos was a ubiquitous vessel of the era, primarily used to serve wine, and is particularly associated with women's gatherings and festivals.

Skillfully wheel-made, the vessel boasts a depressed, carinated body with a long cylindrical neck culminating in a flared, trumpet-shaped mouth. Its design is completed by a wide base with a broad ring foot, a progression from earlier flask forms with narrower necks and oval bodies. A gracefully twisted handle connects just below the rim to the vessel's widest point, exemplifying functional elegance.

The decoration is minimal yet refined, featuring encircling bands in a warm brown tone, with a more prominent band marking the transition to the shoulder. This understated adornment enhances the vessel's clean lines and balanced proportions, a hallmark of Hellenistic aesthetics. As both a functional object and an artistic creation, this lagynos embodies the cultural and ceremonial significance of wine in the Hellenistic world, making it a remarkable artifact of ancient Cypriot craftsmanship.

Excellent condition. Age-related wear with nicks and scratches on surface. Repaired mouth, otherwise intact. Rich deposits on interior and exterior. Size approx. 19,5cm x 18,5cm x 18,5cm. 

Provenance: Dutch private collection

For a similar examples see:

Lagynos from Cyprus in the Collection of Classical and Near Eastern Antiquities, The National Museum of Denmark, inv. no. 6543 (cat. no. 23).

Lagynos, The British Museum, museum number 1881,0824.56

Terracotta lagynos (oil flask), The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Accession number: 74.51.441

References and further reading:

Hellenistic Pottery, Summer Trentin and Debby Sneed, Department of Classics, University of Colorado Boulder, June 14, 2018.

Handbook of the Cesnola Collection of Antiquities from Cyprus, John L. Myres, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1914.

Cypriot Lagynoi with a Funnel Shaped Mouth and a Twisted Handle, John Lund, Studies in Ancient Art and Civilization 17, December 2013. pp. 255-275. (https://doi.org/10.12797/SAAC.17.2013.17.22.)

Cognitive Theory of Prototype and Categorization in Pottery Studies. An Analysis Based on Cypriot lagynoi Samples, Sebastian  Borowicz, Archeologia 58, 7-13.