from THETIS Cabinet
Breasted Jug or Nippled Ewer
The nippled ewer, a distinctive ceramic vessel from the Cyclades (Middle to early Late Bronze Age), is often linked to libation rituals and fertility symbolism due to its plastic breast features. Found in household contexts, particularly at Akrotiri on Thera, these vessels highlight the deep connection between domestic life and religious beliefs in Cycladic culture. Their shape and decoration suggest complex symbolism, tied to depictions of women in ceremonial attire and birds as mediators with the divine. Beyond fertility, they may have played a role in trance, divination, and ancestral veneration, reflecting women’s involvement in both ceramic production and ritual practices.
This hand-formed nippled ewer (mastoprochos), crafted in 2005, was part of an experimental production under a Thetis-funded apprenticeship program. It stands as one of the finest examples replicating the texture and characteristics of Late Bronze Age Theran clay.
Dimensions : H 34 cm, MaxL 18.8 cm