Marble vase with high foot and four lug handles

ca. 2800–2700 BCE

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 151

This type of vessel is also known as a kandila, named after modern oil lamps of similar shape that illuminate Greek Orthodox churches. Produced in marble and clay, kandilai typically held liquids, such as oil or wine. Cords strung through the pierced lugs around the body could be used to hang the vase or attach a lid. Frequently found in tombs with marble figures, the vessels may have served a function in funerary rituals.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Title: Marble vase with high foot and four lug handles
Period: Early Cycladic I
Date: ca. 2800–2700 BCE
Culture: Cycladic
Medium: Marble
Dimensions: H. 9 1/4 in. (23.5 cm)
diameter 7 in. (17.8 cm)
Classification: Miscellaneous-Stone Vases
Credit Line: Bequest of Gordon and Nina Bunshaft, 1995
Object Number: 1995.604
Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art

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