There were several small vases found amongst pottery items at various Nuragic sites in Sardinia, which are less than 8 centimetres, known as miniatures, that imitate the containers used in domestic life. The presence of these vases in places of worship brings us to hypothesise that they were mainly destined for ritual use, linked to the offering of their content. However, the examples found in the village may have had a practical use or as toys for children. During digs at the Su Nuraxi Nuragic site, a ladle and a two-handle jug were found (figs. 1, 2, 3, 4).

The ladle, dated to the 12th-8th century B.C., has a truncated cone shaped tub, a raised, slightly sloping handle, and a flat bottom.

Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 - Su Nuraxi, ladle and miniature vase (photo by Pinna P.P., RAS Photographic Archive).

A miniature pottery bowl found inside hut 186 in the village of Su Nuraxi. It has a small central round protuberance (fig. 5). It dates back to the 9th-6th centuries B.C.

Fig. 5 - Su Nuraxi, miniature bowl vase (photo by Pinna P.P., RAS Photographic Archive).

The artefacts can be seen in the exhibition at Casa Zapata in Barumini.