Spherical cap bowl

Los Millares Society

Luxury objects such as ceramic containers with symbolic and Bell-Beaker decorations have been found in graves. The symbolic pottery consisted of incised motifs such as the characteristic Millares' symbol of "sun-eyes"(ojo-soles), face tattoos or hair schemas, pointed triangles an deer.These motifs are also found in cave painting and on idols, and have been associated with distinguishing the differences between genders.

In the necropolis of Millares a spherical cap bowl with symbolic incised decoration was found. The material is a highly refined reddish colour with a compact texture and very fine line of mica uniform reducing firing. The walls are very thin and the surfaces are intense black, well-smoothed with a semi-brilliant gloss finish. Inside it is covered with a symbolic incised decoration made up of a round band of five sun-eyes (eyes in the shape of a solar disk), in between which is a motif comprising four parallel bands, filled with vertical strokes, and is dotted or an empty space; in the intermediate spaces are four small figures formed by a vertical line with the end of the base in the shape of a tripod. The top is finished off by an oblique segment. In the centre of the composition is a sun-eye ringed by an irregular circle. The remaining empty areas are filled with dotted incisions. Material has been lost on the rim and base.

Material: Clay
Dimensions: Height 2,50 cm; Diameter 7,80 cm; Edge: Thickness 0,30 cm.
Provenance: Los Millares, Santa Fe de Mondújar (Almería): Necropolis: tomb 1, chamber.
Excavation, 1953-1957, Arribas Palau, Antonio / Almagro Bash, Martín