Skyphoi are two-handled wine cups found in antiquity from the Mediterranean to the Fertile Crescent. Commonly used in ceremonies and family celebrations, skyphoi are often decorated with designs and symbols that distinguish them from normal household objects. This Phoenician Bichrome Ceramic Skyphos contains a ring of dancing heart-like images along a wavy line that runs the length of its convex upper half, topped by a quick succession of black dots and lines marked just below the mouth’s rim.
The bottom half of this piece is concave and contains a large red band between four smaller black bands. The high arching handles are themselves painted with a simple X design on the length of their wide bands. The decorations on this skyphos’ exterior remain crisp and clear, giving vivid insight to ancient aesthetics.
