Vase fragment
Unknown Artist
Medium
Terracotta
Dimensions
1 1/2 × 1 11/16 × 3/16 in. (3.9 × 4.3 × 0.6 cm)
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Minoan · Early Minoan III
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of the American Exploration Society, 1907
Accession Number
07.232.80
Art Historical Context
This delicate terracotta vase fragment,ailing from Early Minoan III (ca. 2300–2100 BCE), offers a tantalizing glimpse into one of the ancient world's most enigmatic civilizations on Crete. Measuring just 1 1/2 × 1 11/16 × 3/16 inches, this tiny shard from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Greek and Roman Art Department the everyday pottery of the Minoans, crafted from fired clay abundant on the island. Minoan vase-making marked a leap in Bronze Age ceramics, with potters shaping vessels for storage, trade, and ritual use, often featuring early incised or painted motifs that foreshadowed the vib...