Marble bowl
On loan to The Met
This work of art is currently on loan to the museum.Technical analysis: Ultraviolet-induced visible light luminescence examination, Raman spectroscopy
This marble, rolled-rim bowl is intact except for minor, mended losses at the rim. A groove around the interior of the rim underscores the plasticity of its rolled shape. There are abundant remains of a pinkish-red pigment in the interior of the bowl. Technical analysis shows that the red pigment is either a mixture of cinnabar and calcite, or a very thin layer of cinnabar on top of a layer of calcite. Like many examples of this common type of bowl, this one may have been used for mixing pigments.(1).
Sandy MacGillivray, Wendy Walker, Federico Carò
(1) See, Getz-Gentle, Pat. 1996. Stone Vessels of the Cyclades in the Early Bronze Age. pp. 99-105, University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press.
This marble, rolled-rim bowl is intact except for minor, mended losses at the rim. A groove around the interior of the rim underscores the plasticity of its rolled shape. There are abundant remains of a pinkish-red pigment in the interior of the bowl. Technical analysis shows that the red pigment is either a mixture of cinnabar and calcite, or a very thin layer of cinnabar on top of a layer of calcite. Like many examples of this common type of bowl, this one may have been used for mixing pigments.(1).
Sandy MacGillivray, Wendy Walker, Federico Carò
(1) See, Getz-Gentle, Pat. 1996. Stone Vessels of the Cyclades in the Early Bronze Age. pp. 99-105, University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press.
Artwork Details
- Title: Marble bowl
- Period: Early Cycladic II
- Date: ca. 2700–2400/2300 BCE
- Culture: Cycladic
- Medium: Marble
- Dimensions: Height: 1 7/8 in. (4.8 cm)
Diameter: 7 9/16 in. (19.2 cm)
Thickness: 3/8 in. (1 cm) - Classification: Stone Sculpture
- Credit Line: Leonard N. Stern Collection, Loan from the Hellenic Republic, Ministry of Culture
- Object Number: L.2022.38.111
- Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art
Content Notice
The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.