Storage pithos with relief decoration



Storage pithos with relief decoration

Π19280
Clay
Mended on body and base
Height: 161 cm. Rim diameter: 71 cm.
Lyttos
"Xidas" settlement
Early Archaic period:
7th c. BC:
Gallery:
XV
Case:
Not in case
Exhibition thematic unit:
Geometric - Archaic - Classical period (10th-4th c. BC). Cities and Sanctuaries
Archaic storage pithoi
Description
Large storage pithos with relief and incised decoration in zones of incised rosettes, relief knob motifs and snaking bands. On the shoulder and between the handles is a zone of panels containing griffins. On the neck is a narrow band of spirals, a band of knobs and two panels with sphinxes. The vertical frames of the panels are decorated with spirals. In the centre, between the handles, is a relief animal head. The relief Cretan pithoi of the Early Archaic period served a double purpose: they were used to store goods such as olive oil, wine and cereals, but they were also high-value objects displaying the prestige and social status of their owners. Many such pithoi have been found in settlements of the Hellenistic period, highlighting their value as family heirlooms.
Bibliography:
Α. Lebessi, "Λύττος-Αφρατί", Αρχαιολογικό Δελτίο 26 (1971), Β2 Χρονικά, pp. 493-500. Κ. Galanaki, Ch. Papadaki, Κ. Christakis, Αρχαϊκοί πίθοι σε ελληνιστικούς οικισμούς :Το παράδειγμα της Λύκτου στην κεντρική Κρήτη, Αρχαιολογία, April 2019.
Author:
M. K.


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