General Information

The term Cypriot White Painted ware, which is both traditional and unfortunately misleading, derives from Einar Gjerstad's typological studies (1932, 1948, 1960). This is a wide-ranging family whose shared characteristic is a plain light to white colored surface with additional decoration added in black paint (manganese pigment). The use of white paint on an otherwise undecorated (no slip, wash, or similar covering) surface is common throughout the Cypro-Geometric, Cypro-Archaic, and Cypro-Classical periods and continues into the Hellenistic period. It finds earlier origins in the latter part of the Late Bronze Age (Late Cypriot White Painted Wheelmade).

Many different fabrics, shapes, and decorative schemes are included within this family. Gjerstad had divided White Painted ware into seven types (Types I-VII), based mostly on vessels from tombs, and largely differentiated by shape with differences interpreted by him as being chronologically rather than regionally meaningful. Current work that integrates contextual, petrographic, and stylistic study should help to clarify regional and chronological sub-groups of this large ware family.

Wheelmade, usually light ground fabric, with black or grayish painted decoration (manganese pigment). The background fabric can be white, tan, salmon, red, or even near black. The black paint can appear blue or even light purple.

Idalion (Cyprus/Eastern Mesoria)

Kition (Cyprus/Eastern coast)

Kourion/Episkopi, Kaloriziki (Cyprus/Western South Coast)

Polis/Marion, Peristeries (Princeton Grid Area B.D7) (Cyprus/Chrysochou Valley)

Salamis (Cyprus/Eastern coast)

Soloi (Cyprus/Western Mesoria)

Tel Dor (Israel/Carmel coastal plain)

Tell Tweini (Syria/Coast/An-Nusayriah Mountains)