Getty Museum

Mycenaean Piriform Vase

Date

1400–1300 B.C.

Medium

Terracotta

Culture

Greek (Mycenaean)

Department

Vessels

Institution

Getty Museum

Small piriform (pear-shaped) jars, one of the most widespread Mycenaean pottery types, were produced on a large scale on the Greek mainland in the 1300s B.C. They were used in everyday life and were also left in tombs. Both the vessel's form and the scale pattern used to decorate it were very popular in this period. Piriform jars usually contained unguents or perfumed oil—valuable commodities that were often exported as luxury goods. Transported throughout the Mediterranean, these vessels reveal a flourishing trade network between the Greek mainland and neighboring civilizations during the Late Bronze Age (1600-1100 B.C.).

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