One thing that has continued to jump out at me at the various museums we have visited on Cyprus, including those in Nicosia, Paphos, and Larnaca, are the unique Cypriot creations dubbed ‘composite vessels’.  There are composite vessels of all different shapes and sizes, a common example being a vessel made of bowls conjoined at their sides, with a handle of sorts protruding from the center of the amalgamation. One of my favorite pieces I’ve seen in a museum thus far was a vessel comprised of seven jugs smushed together to create one large jug with seven openings and seven handles (photo attached). This piece in particular sparked my interest in these unique objects, I’d never seen something like it before, so I started poking at Drs Stephens and Tom to see what they knew. I learned from them that this type of vessel is a style that is uniquely Cypriot, that nothing like them has been found anywhere else, but also that they were otherwise unsure of the vessels’ function or why the ancient Cypriots designed and created things in this way. So I took it upon myself to do some research, which has proved to be frustrating. Almost no information seems to exist on the internet regarding the composite vessels, at least not accessible to me.

Because no one can tell me explicitly, I have to imagine what the people who were creating these funky pieces were doing, and for what reason! Perhaps they were modern art, for decorative purposes, or possibly experimental kitchenware to serve their own unique needs of the moment. When we first saw that seven-jug vessel in the museum, we joked it was made to pour a shotski, which was all in good fun, but truthfully I don’t think we were that far off. I think the composite vessels were a tool to serve your whole family, pour a drink for yourself and six of your friends, serve your olives, nuts, and grapes in one vessel made of three bowls. Though maybe not necessarily the most efficient designs, they look a bit awkward to use, I love to imagine how they might embody some of the eccentricities of ancient Cypriot life. 

Annika Schramm