Throughout antiquity, the island of Cyprus was an important trading center at the crossroads of Mediterranean shipping routes. Cypriot goods have been discovered as far west as Spain and as far east as India. The artisans of Cyprus were especially famed for their pottery, and this splendid vessel shows that reputation to be justified. Generous in size yet graceful in shape, it probably contained olives or perhaps figs-- two of the exports for which Cyprus was famed. Simple yet elegant, it continues to delight our senses even when empty. With time it has transcended its functional origins to achieve the status of art.