In antiquity, there was a thriving trade between the island of Cyprus and the coast of Palestine. The graceful curving form of this vessel seems to convey the lively spirit of the people through whose hands it passed so long ago. We remember that these were individuals who laughed and sang, talked, argued and loved. In appearance, they were similar to us, though their vision of the world was vastly different. This charming bilbil--which perhaps held oil, wine or medicinal opium--links us directly to that ancient world. Our hands rest where other hands did in Biblical times; the energy, the bond, is there to be felt.