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Tripod, ca. 13th–12th century B.C.; Late Bronze Age
Cypriot
Copper-based metal; H. 14 3/4 in. (37.49 cm)
The Cesnola Collection, Purchased by subscription, 1874-76 (74.51.5684)

Bronze tripods and other vessel stands from Cyprus represent some of the finest metalwork produced in the eastern Mediterranean at the end of the Late Bronze Age. They were admired in the Aegean, where Cypriot prototypes were imitated during the first millennium B.C. The decoration on this tripod shows a blend of Mycenaean Greek and Near Eastern elements. The band at the top, cast flat in one piece, is decorated in low relief with a frieze of hounds pursuing wild goats. Tripods, like this one, have a wide distribution, having been found on Cyprus, Crete, and the Cyclades, as well as in mainland Greece, Sardinia, and Italy. Ancient repairs to this stand's rim are one indication that it was a treasured item that may have been passed from one generation to another.


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  • Tripod, ca. 13th–12th century B.C.; Late Bronze Age
    Cypriot
    Copper-based metal; H. 14 3/4 in. (37.49 cm)
    The Cesnola Collection, Purchased by subscription, 1874-76 (74.51.5684)