Stirrup jar
Encyclopedia
Stirrup jar is a pottery
vessel probably originating in the ancient Mediterranean region. Such vessels were sometimes decorated with painted designs or ornamentation. Throughout history including modern times have created versions of this vessel. Early examples of the stirrup jar have been recovered from Rhodes
dating to circa 1200 BC. A number of inscribed Kydonian stirrup jars have been recovered from several archaeological sites on Crete
.
Stirrup jars were originally intended for use as containers for oil and wine. The early Stirrup Jars were sparsely decorated and featured a three handled arrangement, disc hole, spout horns, and the shape of a false neck and spout. Traditionally stirrup jars were divided into two versions: a small, fine ware version suggesting a specialized use and a large, coarse ware version.
The features found suggest that the stirrup jar could have been economically valuable. The arrangement of the stirrup jar suggests a stopper is used to secure the contents and the contents are what make the stirrup jar a valuable household item. The disc holes and third handle may have been used to secure a tag to the vessel suggesting a commercial importance and resale value. The locations Stirrup jars have been found in reflect the fact that the popularity of this vessel type spread quickly throughout the Aegan
and the use of the Stirrup Jar to identify a specific commodity became important.
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
vessel probably originating in the ancient Mediterranean region. Such vessels were sometimes decorated with painted designs or ornamentation. Throughout history including modern times have created versions of this vessel. Early examples of the stirrup jar have been recovered from Rhodes
Rhodes
Rhodes is an island in Greece, located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007, and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within...
dating to circa 1200 BC. A number of inscribed Kydonian stirrup jars have been recovered from several archaeological sites on Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
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Stirrup jars were originally intended for use as containers for oil and wine. The early Stirrup Jars were sparsely decorated and featured a three handled arrangement, disc hole, spout horns, and the shape of a false neck and spout. Traditionally stirrup jars were divided into two versions: a small, fine ware version suggesting a specialized use and a large, coarse ware version.
The features found suggest that the stirrup jar could have been economically valuable. The arrangement of the stirrup jar suggests a stopper is used to secure the contents and the contents are what make the stirrup jar a valuable household item. The disc holes and third handle may have been used to secure a tag to the vessel suggesting a commercial importance and resale value. The locations Stirrup jars have been found in reflect the fact that the popularity of this vessel type spread quickly throughout the Aegan
Aegan
Aegan is a 2008 Tamil action and comedy film directed and co-written by Raju Sundaram and produced by Ayngaran International based on the 2004 Shahrukh Khan starrer Main Hoon Na...
and the use of the Stirrup Jar to identify a specific commodity became important.
See also
- AmphoraAmphoraAn amphora is a type of vase-shaped, usually ceramic container with two handles and a long neck narrower than the body...
- Bridge spouted vesselBridge spouted vesselA bridge spouted vessel is a particular design of pitcher originating in antiquity; there is typically a connecting element between the spout and filling aperture, and the spout is a completely independent aperture from the usually smaller central fill opening. Early incidences of the bridge...
- Stirrup spout vesselStirrup spout vesselA stirrup spout vessel is a type of ceramic vessel common among several Pre-Columbian cultures of South America beginning in the early 2nd millennium BCE....
, a similarly named South American vessel