Missing thing
Fig. 16 - Detail of the fraction on the offering table (a). Photo taken by Bojan Manasijev. Allard Pierson Museum 00608.
As you can see, there is a small piece of clay on top of the table. This is not a production error, nor is it a mistake made by the craftsman. Besides the two cups and the animal, there once was a fourth object on this table. The Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam, the Netherlands bought this table in 1934. The museum’s description mentions two cups and one animal, so the fourth object must have already been lost at that time.
The fact that the fourth object is missing does not mean that nothing can be said about it. The fracture has a roundish shape, which is similar to the base of the other two cups. Therefore, it can be assumed that the missing object was a third cup, although we cannot determine the exact shape of this cup.
Our understanding of this miniature table is a bit like the piece of clay on top that once contained a third vessel. We can almost visualize the way that this table was used: perhaps it was a cherished toy belonging to a child, or perhaps it was an item brought to a Mycenaean temple as a token of devotion. But, in the end, so much is still left for us to find out.