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Pitt Rivers Museum

1884.104.37

Stone spindle-whorl decorated with incised circles. [Dan Hicks 01/05/2012]

On display


1884.104.37

Digital asset copyright: Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford

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Collection type
Object
Description
Stone spindle-whorl decorated with incised circles. [Dan Hicks 01/05/2012]
Long description
Hemispherical spindle whorl of pale green blue stone with dot and ring ornament. [SM 15/01/2009] “Spindle whorl of light green picrolite. Dome-shaped with a slightly convex base. The upper surface is decorated with small incised circles with a puncture in the centre.” [Description by Karageorghis, V., 2009, p. 105] [JFK 19/11/2009] Stone spindle-whorl decorated with incised circles; from Cyprus; Early-Middle Bronze Age (Early Middle Cypriote) in date. Possibly purchased by Pitt-Rivers at Sothebys July 1871. [Dan Hicks 01/05/2012]
Geographical reference
Unknown
Date / Period
Date made: 2500-1900 BC Archaeological period: Bronze Age
Date collected
By 1871 July 3 ?
Acquisition information
Donated: 1884
Materials and processes
Material Stone, Process Incised, Process Perforated, Process Ground, Process Decorated
Dimensions
Diameter: max 56 mm
Object numbers
Accession number: 1884.104.37 Other numbers: Cypriot Archaeology 119
Research and responses

Material identifed by Professor Vassos Karaegiorgis of the Leventis Foundation, Cyprus as Picralite, the piece is identifed by him as probably Early Bronze Age 4.1.97 [MdeA]

At a sale at Sotheby's on the 3rd July 1871 Pitt Rivers purchased a lot which included several spindle whorls. It is possible but by no means certain that this is one of these. The catalogue entry for lot 59 is 'Large Bead, ornamented Whirls, of different sizes, and other objects in hard stone.' There were twelve objects in total in this lot. [MdeA 9 July 1999]

Associated publications
Published under catalogue number 119 on page 105 in Karageorghis, V., (2009) Cypriote Art in the Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford. A.G. Leventis Foundation. [JFK 09/10/2009]

Search terms: Textile, Spindle-whorl