Maidstone 1
© KJ/090210
An extremely rare object, which is thought to be just one of about 20 items in the world, has been discovered at Maidstone Museum.

The rare find, which is thought to be 4,000 years old, has caused a stir of excitement among the museum keepers.

The Early Cycladic III Kernos, a vessel that incorporates 6 cups around a globular basin on a fluted base, is an unusual item especially in the complete condition it is in.

There are known Kernoi at the British Museum in London, the Louvre in Paris, Sevres in Paris, The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge and The New York Metropolitan Gallery of Art and other museums.

Maidstone Museum's Kernos was brought into the limelight thanks to museum keeper, Giles Guthrie and third year Liverpool University student Kayleigh McMahon, who is currently studying archaeology and ancient history and working with Giles at the museum.

Keeper of human history, Giles Guthrie said: "We have had it in the museum for some time but only recently realised how unusual it was. A Greek expert from the British Museum came down and had a look at our collection and they flagged it up as being very rare."

The Kernos was used to make offerings to the Gods and each cup would have been filled with a different substance such as milk, honey and oats.

We know from descriptions that the filled vessel would have been held on the head of the devotee until sanctified by the priest.

This type from this period is predominantly found at Phylakopi on Melos, the same home as the most famous sculpture in the world - the Venus de Milo.

The Kernos is decorated with basic geometric patterns in brown or black clay.

The decoration of the find is not very clear but this does not negate from the importance of the vessel at all, some decoration can be seen and it follows the basic pattern known from other items from this period.

Later on the vessels appear to lose the stand and develop into a different shape that is used up until the end of the Roman period. What the museum has found is a very early example that took over from the perhaps rarer stone version.

Maidstone Museum, in St Faith's Street, is now planning to have Christie's and Sotheby's to come down and value the piece and has plans to exhibit the Kernos in the future.

Giles added: "When the Kernos is exhibited it will contribute to our understanding of Prehistoric, Archaic and Classical Greek pottery, and will be the oldest piece of Greek pottery on display in the collection outstripping the Archaic ware by over a thousand years.

"This item completes the story of the evolution of Greek Painted Pottery within the gallery as it portrays the beginning of the process which is then followed through until the demise of the Ancient Greek civilisation.

"When the New York Met acquired their Kernos in 2004 they described the piece as strengthening the museums holdings immeasurably, and lets hope this piece will do the same for Maidstone Museum."