Lot 61
61
A MINOAN KAMARES WARE CUP
A MINOAN KAMARES WARE CUP

MM II, 1900-1700 B.C.

Details
A MINOAN KAMARES WARE CUP
mm ii, 1900-1700 b.c.
Wheel-made, of conical form, with a strap handle, the brown slip ornamented in white and red, including an undulating red band below the rim, rimmed in white with spikey projections, and a band of angled white lines, each enclosed within white lines above and below
3 in. (7.6 cm.) high

Lot Essay

Kamares Ware takes its name from the cave-sanctuary below the peak of Mt. Ida in central Crete where the type was first found. The scheme of decoration continues and expands on the decorative traditions of the earlier "white-on-dark" wares (see previous lot). The fabric, however, is far superior, due to the introduction of the potter's wheel. The finest examples are of eggshell thinness. For related examples see p. 26-29 in Higgins, Minoan and Mycenaean Art and pls. 9-12 in Betancourt, The History of Minoan Pottery.