Eastern Mediterranean — Cypriot (Cypro-Geometric) or Late Bronze Age – early Iron Age Aegean workshops

The Zoomorphic Askos: Concentric Geometry and Ritual Symbolism

105

Ca. 10th–8th century BCE; Cypro-Geometric to early Iron Age, Post-Palatial Eastern Mediterranean

An exceptional zoomorphic askos in the likeness of a horned quadruped (likely stag or bull), representing the peak of Cypro-Geometric or late Aegean ceramic innovation (ca. 10th–8th century BCE). Fashioned from iron-bearing buff clay with dark mineral slip applied in crisp high-contrast line work: the neck and head carry vertical bands and bold concentric circular eyes; a rear flared spout with horizontal striping balances the neck; a heavy arched loop handle links both openings; large perfectly executed concentric circles dominate each flank as cosmic anchors; and a dense cross-hatched lattice panel adorns the front chest.