Barrel-shaped jug explained

The Barrel-shaped jug is a type of pottery known in the Mediterranean in the Ancient Cypriot art of the island of Cyprus, from the 10th century BCE to the 3rd century CE.^[1]

This type of jugs, with and without strainers, were quite common in Archaic Cypriot pottery.Because of their rounded shape, they do not stand on their own, suggesting a quite specific function. They are found in the tombs of Eastern Cyprus, and may only have had a funerary role.^[2]

These jars are very similar to Chinese Cocoon jars, and West-East transmission has been suggested.^[1]

Notes and References

1. Duan Qingbo . Qingbo . Duan . 2022 . Sino-Western Cultural Exchange as Seen through the Archaeology of the First Emperor's Necropolis . Journal of Chinese History 中國歷史學刊 . 7 . en . 56–58 . 10.1017/jch.2022.25 . 251690411 . 2059-1632 . free.
2. Web site: Terracotta barrel jug with strainer Cypriot Cypro-Archaic I . The Metropolitan Museum of Art . en.