Cycladic ceramic frying pan with spiral and triangle motifs

Material: Ceramic
Date range: 2800-2300 BC (Early Cycladic II period)
Origin: Grave 307, Syros, Greece (Cycladic Islands)

These mysterious “frying pan” objects were important religious items in Early Cycladic burials. The carved pubic triangle near the handle is a symbol of fertility, linked to ideas of birth, renewal, and life after death. The spiral designs on the surface may represent water, the movement of the sun, or repeating cycles of the universe, all of which were important in Bronze Age beliefs.

These objects were found only in graves, showing they were not used for cooking. Instead, they were ceremonial items placed with the dead. Their careful decoration suggests they were offerings or ritual tools. They may have been used in funeral ceremonies or as mirrors when filled with water. Together, the fertility symbols and spiral patterns show that these objects helped connect the human world with the spiritual world.

Museum label reference: Ceramic 'frying pan' with impressed/incised spirals. Above the handle, incised pubic triangle. Grave 307 (5064).

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