Ancient Mediterranean

Digital Project

Ship model

Cat. No.

C44

Date

Cypro-Archaic I

Findspot

Cyprus, further provenance unknown

Dimensions

L: 8.5 cm; H (amidships): 2.5 cm; beam (amidships): 3.5 cm

Medium

terracotta boat model, red clay with dark brown and black painted decoration

Accession Number

Pierides Collection, Larnaca

References

Åström 1974: 33, 79; Dolan 2023: 489-491, no. 74; Karageorghis 1996: 73, no. V(a): 8, pl. XLI: 3; Westerberg 1983: 27, no. 30, fig. 30

Crescent shaped hull, with a flat bottom in its middle, and a flat, uneven gunwale. Both posts rise in a gradual curve, at a very similar angle. The stempost however has a horn that projects above the gunwale that inclines forward then curves slightly backwards, while the stenpost is undecorated and does not extend beyond the gunwale. The short rounded bow projection is at the waterline and points slightly downward. On either side of the bow is a large almond shaped eye with a pupil in black paint. Two horizontal lines painted in red run just below the gunwale. At the bow on the starboard side are two black oblique lines running from the gunwale down. Two additional vertical black lines running from the gunwale down are located aft, near the stern. The decoration on the port side is similar. It also has traces of black colour on the horn device of the stempost.

Åström, P. 1974. Cypern, motsättningarnas ö: cypriska fornfynd från Medelhavsmuseet, Stockholm samt ur de arrangerande institutionernas samlingar. Göteborg: Göteborgs arkeologiska museum.

Dolan, M. 2023. Ceci n'est pas un bateau: Reassessing terracotta boat models in Late Bronze and Iron Age Cyprus. University of Southhampton. Unpublished DPhil Thesis.

Karageorghis, V. 1996. The coroplastic Art of ancient Cyprus. VI. Monsters, Animals and Miscellanea. Nicosia: A.G. Leventis Foundation.

Westerberg, K. 1983. Cypriote Ships from the Bronze Age to c. 500 B.C. (SIMA, Pocket-books, 22). Göteborg: P. Åströms förlag.

  • port view

    copyright icon © Pierides Museum, Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation. Photograph by T. Manolova Click for fullscreen
  • starboard view

    copyright icon © Pierides Museum, Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation. Photograph by T. Manolova Click for fullscreen
  • top view

    copyright icon © Pierides Museum, Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation. Photograph by T. Manolova Click for fullscreen
  • bottom view

    copyright icon © Pierides Museum, Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation. Photograph by T. Manolova Click for fullscreen
  • bow view

    copyright icon © Pierides Museum, Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation. Photograph by T. Manolova Click for fullscreen
  • stern view

    copyright icon © Pierides Museum, Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation. Photograph by T. Manolova Click for fullscreen