A Cypriot ceramic vase nearly 4,000 years old was returned to Cyprus from Canada on Tuesday, after it had been listed for sale at an online auction.

The Department of Antiquities said the artefact, a hemispherical flask of black-polished pottery with engraved decoration, dates to around 1900BC, during the Early Cypriot III–Middle Cypriot I period.

Officials said the vase was identified during monitoring of online sales of antiquities.

It was traced to Canada, where it was held by a private owner.

The department said coordinated action lasted about a year before the owner agreed to return the object to Cyprus.

The vase is considered an important example of early Cypriot pottery and will now be preserved under state care.