Glossary Pottery and vessels
Stirrup jar
A closed jar with a solid false neck on top, bridged by two handles like a stirrup, and a separate spout on the shoulder for pouring oil.
The stirrup jar is a Mycenaean invention for storing and shipping oil and perfumed oil. The handles over the false neck make it easy to carry and to pour in a thin, controlled stream from the spout.
Small painted stirrup jars are among the commonest Mycenaean imports in Late Bronze Age Cypriot tombs. By the 12th century BCE Cypriot potters were making their own, and the shape continues in Proto-White Painted ware. See also the Mycenaeans and Cyprus.
Related terms
- Piriform
Pear-shaped: a vessel body widest near the shoulder and tapering towards a narrow base, a term used especially for Mycenaean jars.
- Krater
A large, wide-mouthed bowl or jar used for mixing wine with water before serving, usually with two handles.
- Open and closed shapes
The basic division of vessel forms: open shapes have a mouth as wide as the body, closed shapes narrow to a neck or small opening.
Where it appears
- From Bronze to Iron: Cypriot Pottery c. 1300–950 BCE
- Proto-White Painted Ware
- Mycenaean Imports and Local Imitations
- Faience in Ancient Cyprus
- Glass in Ancient Cyprus
- Jars (Amphora)
- The Mycenaeans and Cyprus
- White Painted Wheelmade Ware
- Society, Ritual, and Identity in Ancient Cypriot Mortuary Practice
- The Philistines