Cycladic frying pan vessel

Cycladic frying pan vesselDark incised Cycladic 'frying pan' vessel, Early Cycladic II period, ca. 27002400 BCE. After an original in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Special commission, 2 2. Among the most mysterious objects to survive from prehistoric Greece, the Cycladic 'frying pan' defies easy explanation. Neither pan nor plate, it belongs to a category whose purpose archaeology has named but never fully resolved ritual, status, fertility, the sea. This example,

Dark incised Cycladic 'frying pan' vessel, Early Cycladic II period, ca. 2700–2400 BCE. After an original in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Special commission, 2/2.

Among the most mysterious objects to survive from prehistoric Greece, the Cycladic 'frying pan' defies easy explanation. Neither pan nor plate, it belongs to a category whose purpose archaeology has named but never fully resolved — ritual, status, fertility, the sea. This example, after an original in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is rendered in dark-fired terracotta with deep incised decoration faithful to the Early Cycladic II tradition.

Entirely at home on a modern table too: heat-resistant and robust, it works beautifully as a trivet for hot pots straight from the oven, a sculptural centrepiece, or simply as a striking decorative object in its own right.

Made as a special commission for a film production in summer 2025. Piece 2 of 2, from the ATTIC BLACK Thetis Cabinet, handmade in Athens.

Dimensions: max L 20 cm, H 3 cm, ext. rim D 16 cm, int. rim D 15.5 cm