Glossary Pottery and vessels
Ladder pattern
Also called: ladder, ladder lattice
Paired parallel lines joined by short cross-strokes like the rungs of a ladder, the hallmark decoration of White Slip II bowls.
The ladder pattern is a pair of lines, vertical or horizontal, with short strokes drawn between them. It is best known from the Late Cypriot White Slip II bowls, where ladders run down the sides and across the field in black or brown paint, often beside rows of dots.
Similar rungs appear much earlier in incised form, and again on Iron Age painted wares, so the motif alone does not give a date. It is related to the crossed lines of lattice and checkerboard designs. See all ladder patterns in the catalogue.
Full entry: Motifs of Cypriot Pottery
Related terms
- Bands and lines
Plain horizontal stripes painted or incised round a pot, the simplest decoration, counted as a motif when they are the main or only ornament.
- Dots and dot rows
Small round dabs of paint or impressed marks set in rows, clusters or rosettes, used to fill and frame other motifs.
- Wishbone handle
A handle that rises above the rim of a bowl and splits into two prongs, like a wishbone, typical of Late Bronze Age Cypriot bowls.