Cleveland Museum of Art

Kandila (Collared Jar with Conical Foot)

Master A

Date

3000–2950 BCE

Medium

marble

Culture

Greece, Cycladic

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Kandila , the modern Greek word used by archaeologists for Early Cycladic stone jars like this one, also refers to a type of hanging oil lamp, similar in shape but made of metal and still used in some Greek Orthodox churches. Despite this name and the formal similarity, the primary function of the prehistoric kandila remains uncertain. The holes drilled through each of its four lugs may have been used for hanging or to secure a lid. "Cycladic" refers to a group of Aegean islands where vessels like this were made.

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