Description

A MYCENAEAN POTTERY STIRRUP JAR

Lentoid in form, on a ring foot, decorated in brown with horizontal bands
on the body, the zones between the central spout and the handles with a
stylised murex shell and two foliate motifs, a spiral on the central knob.

LATE HELLADIC IIIC, CIRCA 1200-1100 B.C.

Diameter:  125 mm

Condition: Complete with accretions and a little rubbing

During the Late Bronze Age, they were used in the export of oils, and are found at sites around the Eastern Mediterranian and beyond. The term “stirrup-jar” is a translation of German “Bügelkanne”, the name assigned to them by Heinrich Schliemann who found the first instances during his excavations at Troy.