Cycladic Duck Shaped Askos II

Minimalist Duck-Shaped Askos, Phylakopi I culture, Early Cycladic III, ca. 2300–2000 BCE

Based on an Early Cycladic vessel from Phylakopi I on Melos, this hand-built duck-shaped askos combines sculptural simplicity with decoration inspired by prehistoric pottery. Its compact rounded body, lateral spout and small loop handle are characteristic of a distinctive vessel type associated with the Cycladic Early Bronze Age.

Bird-shaped vessels are among the ceramic forms found in the Early Bronze Age Aegean, and Cycladic pottery and its influence reached beyond the islands, including Crete. The original prototype is held in the Musée national de Céramique, Sèvres.

The surface is decorated with a hand-incised herringbone pattern inspired by Early Cycladic pottery and filled with white kaolin paste. The matt surface is available in two versions, either deep black or unevenly fired with reddish and dark clouded tones. Both create a strong contrast with the white-filled incisions and recall the dark, fired surfaces of prehistoric ceramics.

Dimensions H: 15cm, max D: 17 cm, max L : 21,5 cm