General Information

The term Cypriot Bichrome (Iron Age) draws on Einar Gjerstad's typological system (1932, 1948, 1960) and refers to a ware that is defined by the surface treatment of a vessel. The use of black and red paint together on an otherwise undecorated (no slip, wash, or similar covering) surface is common throughout the Cypro-Geometric, Cypro-Archaic, and Cypro-Classical periods. There are many different fabrics, shapes, and decorative schemes that are included within this ware family. As meaningful regional and chronological sub-families of this ware are identified, they should be added with descriptions of how those groups were identified and how they are defined. Gjerstad divided Bichrome ware into seven types (Types I-VII), which take all of Cyprus as one large group, are based mostly on vessels from tombs, and are largely differentiated by shape with differences interpreted by him as being chronologically rather than regionally meaningful. Where one of his Types appears to be meaningful, this should be entered into the vessel information under "shape type" with the appropriate reference to his system provided in bibliography for that object.

Sub ware:  Salaminian Iron Age Bichrome ware

The “Salaminian Bichrome ware” describes a distinctive variant in the family of the common Bichrome technique throughout the island. Within the spectrum of pottery wares defining the Cypriot Iron Age pottery, the Bichrome technique stands out for its strong regional significance.  Already from the beginning of the Iron Age, the pottery workshops of Salamis are distinguished for an increased use of this ware. It is applied to a specific but large repertoire of shapes, including variants of amphorae and jugs, as well as different types of deep and shallow bowls, that characterize the regional pottery production. The ornamental repertoire in Bichrome ware includes not only abstract geometric motifs, but also figurative representations constituting the hallmark of Salamis’ regional pottery production. A first peak in the production of Bichrome ware in the Salaminian workshops is to be placed in the Cypro-Geometric III period, c. 9th century BCE. This technique reaches a veritable apogee in the course of the Cypro-Archaic period, in the 7th and 6th centuries with the so-called “floral-style”, typifying a decorative style that is documented both in the Salaminian pottery craft, but also in coroplastic art. 

The Salaminian Bichrome ware is attested not only at the centre of Salamis, but also in various known sites within the periphery of the polity, such as the Karpas and the Mesaoria plain. At the same time, characteristic vessel shapes of Salaminian pottery production have been documented in other regions of island, both in proximity to Salamis (such as Idalion, Kition, Lapithos), and more distant regions (such as Amathus, Kourion and Paphos). Finally, Salaminian Bichrome ware vessels have been documented in the Levant (for example at Tel Dor, Israel). 

Wheelmade, usually light ground fabric, with red/pink/purple and black/grayish painted decoration. Cypriot Bichrome (CBI) is an Iron Age Cypriot ware that is the same as Cypriot White Painted (CWP) with the addition of red paint (possibly cinnabar or other iron pigment) to the more common black paint. The red paint can appear brown, orange, or maroon/purple. The fabric carrying decoration can be white, tan, salmon, red, or even near black. The black paint can appear blue or even light purple. See discussion of Cypriot White Painted (Iron Age) for further discussion.

In Salamis:

Bichrome ware can be divided into two broad macroscopic fabric categories, one coarser than the other. The coarser fabric is mainly associated with large vessels, and the finer fabric with small and medium-size vessels, including open and closed shapes. In terms of colour, both fabrics exhibite the same hue, a red-yellow 7.5YR (with variations in chroma between 7.5YR 6/4 and 7.5YR 7/4). The firing conditions of these vessels seem to have been consistent in terms of temperature and atmosphere, an argument that is supported by the consistency observed in the recorded fabric colours. A light-coloured core is occasionally observed in cross-section, while in other cases there is no core at all. The presence of organics is attested by the presence of voids across the cross-sections; some of these voids are elongated in shape. Voids constitute up to 5% of each section’s surface and the orientation of the elongated voids is almost parallel to the vessel’s walls. Some of these voids in large closed vessels were initially air bubbles in the clay that resulted in surface bloating.

Both coarse and fine fabric variants range from semi-hard to hard; the softer can be scratched with a fingernail (Mohs 2 or 2.5). The texture of these fabrics varies from fine—for the finer version—to medium/irregular—for the coarser version—and the feel varies respectively from smooth to rough. The inclusions in the finer version are sparse, smaller than 0.25 mm in size, and primarily white in colour, while some black or greyish inclusions are also visible, following a moderate sorting with only very few reaching the maximum diameter of 0.25 mm. 

In the coarser version, the inclusions are larger and more frequent. They are moderately sorted, and they reach up to 10% of the section’s surface, with their size reaching 0.25 mm, exhibiting some bimodal size distribution. Most of the inclusions are white or greyish white in colour, while there are also some brownish red and black inclusions. Most of the white and greyish white inclusions both in the finer and coarser versions are rounded. Only a minimum number show some sort of angularity. From this first macroscopic examination quartz grains have been identified. It is assumed that a kind of sand, rich in quartz, was used in the production of the coarser version of Bichrome ware at Salamis. Fabric similarities may be recorded between Bichrome ware and White Painted ware.

The surface of these vessels is characterised by a light-coloured wash or slip, often similar to the ceramic body, which varies from rough to smooth. In the coarser version, the black paint varies from black to brownish, while the red paint appears in darker or lighter colourations, such as purple, light red-brown or pinkish. In the case of the finer version, the vessel surface is very often covered by a relatively thick slip that ranges from whitish to yellowish in colour, and is well smoothed or burnished, creating a contrasting colour effect with the reddish ceramic body. The black paint can appear greyish and the red paint either dark red or pinkish. The latter is often applied in a rather thick layer.