Except for Egyptian material, the representation of ancient art in our
collections is unfortunately limited to comparatively few original
examples. These include, however, an interesting group of Cypriote
pottery (duplicate material from the Cesnola Collection) which has
considerable importance from the archaeological as well as from the
artistic point of view. This collection of pottery from the island of
Cyprus shows an almost unbroken succession of styles from the Early Bronze
Age, about 3000 B. C., down to the Roman period, and thus gives us a
complete picture of the art of pottery in an important center of ancient
civilization for about three thousand years. Artistically, it is probably
the most successful product of the Cypriote artist. His sense of form and
decoration could here find full expression without disclosing the lack of
high artistic inspiration, which is apparent in his sculptural creations.
Moreover, a certain fanciful originality which shows itself now in a
fantastic shape, now in the addition of handles and bosses in unexpected
places, gives to his vases a refreshing variety. The interest of this
collection will be greatly increased when we are able to exhibit examples
of the Greek painted pottery of the V and IV centuries B. C., which
represents the culmination of ancient ceramic art. A small collection of
Cypriote glass, dating from the I century B. C. to the V century A. D.,
attracts attention by its beautiful color, or iridescence, due to burial
in the earth. Although we have as yet no original sculptures of the
classical period, except for a few fragments, the development of sculpture
in Greece and Rome may be studied in our cast collection.
[Piriform Vase. Cypriote, Mycenaean Style. ca. 1500-1200 B.C.]
Piriform Vase. Cypriote, Mycenaean Style. ca. 1500-1200 B.C.
[Cypriote Pottery]