General Information

This ware was produced in the vicinity of Nea Paphos in the Hellenistic period. 

It has been observed that low fired vessels with a homogeneous orange matrix correspond to the chemical composition of Cypriot Sigillata (Group D in Blondé, Picon 2002) while higher fired group's macroscopic characteristics are very similar to an Early Roman Kitian ware group (Sandrine Marquié PhD and Blondé-Picon Group A).

At Cypriot sites, this group includes vessels of fine, semi-coarse and coarse fabric. Generally, it is characterised by the presence of few to frequent white, red, black, and rarely sparkling inclusions. The size of inclusions is diverse from fine to coarse. The white inclusions are also commonly present on the vessels’ surface. The voids are rare to few, fine to granular rounded and thin, rather angular and elongated. The colour of the fresh break may be pink (7.5YR 7/4, 8/4), reddish yellow (5RY 7/6; 7.5YR 7/6), light red (2.5YR 6/6), light reddish brown (5YR 6/4), weak red (2.5YR 4/2), very pale brown (10YR 8/4, 7/3, 7/4), light brownish grey (2.5YR 6/2), pinkish grey (7.5YR 7/2), light grey (2.5YR 7/2, 10YR 7/1), grey (2.5YR 6/0) or white (10YR 8/2). Frequently, there is colour differentiation between the core and the surface of a vessel. The fabric represents the range of hardness from soft to hard. The feel of the surface is usually smooth, but some vessels are rough or powdery. The texture of the fresh break is smooth (fine and semi-coarse versions) or hackly (coarse version). The vessels are covered with thin, matt or semi-lustrous slip that may be red (2.5YR 4/2, 4/8, 5/6, 5/8), weak red (2.5YR 4/2) yellowish red (5YR 5/6), yellowish brown (10YR 5/4), reddish yellow (5YR 6/6), reddish brown (2.5YR 4/6; 5YR 4/3, 4/4, 5/4), brown (7.5YR 4/2, 4/6, 5/4), black (2.5YR 2.5/0) or dark grey (2.5YR 4/0; 5YR 4/1) slip. The colour of the slip is usually inhomogeneous within a single vessel. This means that zones of different colours appear on the vessels’ surface. The vessels are semi-slipped, usually with the upper portion of the vessel exterior slipped and the entire interior slipped. Some vessels belonging to this fabric group have painted decoration.

Cypriot Hellenistic red slip ware

Paphos/Nea Paphos (Cyprus/Western South Coast)