Apulian Pottery - Red-Figure Ware: Oinochoe
Inv. No.: 89.003
Provenance: Apulia
Date: 4th century BC
Height: 100mm
Diameter: 80mm
Gift of an anonymous donor.
This small oinochoe or mug has an ovoid body set on a narrow ring foot and an offset flaring mouth. The mouth is thin and it has warped slightly during firing. The elegant handle is made from two lengths of rolled clay that have been joined together and tied in a Hercules knot. The handle passes from the shoulder to the edge of the lip. Here the two strands separate before being attached to the lip edge; they turn out slightly at each end. The outside of the mug is mainly black, except for a red-figure profile female head and floral and geometric patterns. The black is metallic and shiny; the other colours are the orange-red of the clay, red wash and added white and yellow. Black covers the inside of the neck and part of the interior of the body. The vase is in good condition with some incrustation on the surface.
Function:
A drinking cup.
Manufacture:
A wheel-made and turned vase with a hand-made handle.
Decoration:
- The outer edge of the lip is outlined in black and on the top is a black wave pattern. There is a reserved ring around the inner edge. On the underside of the lip there is a band of black rays and around the neck is a reserved ring.
- On the body, on the side opposite the handle, is the red-figure profile head of a woman, facing left. Her hair is covered by a saccos tied at the top with a yellow/white bow. The saccos is decorated with various patterns, including rows of yellow/white or black dots, yellow/white crosses and short black lines. The woman is wearing a stephane, an earring and a necklace (all yellow/white). There is a yellow/white circle with a central white dot in the field behind her neck, and a yellow/white ring in front of it. Beneath the handle is a large red palmette with part-palmettes and tendrils to each side. The ends of the tendrils have yellow/white dots. There are also smaller floral elements with yellow/white details.
- The palmettes and head are placed on a plain black ground line. Beneath this is the following sequence: a reserved band, a black line, a reserved band, a black band and a reserved band. The bottom edge of the foot ring is black.
Bibliography:
Cambitoglou, A., "Groups of Apulian Red-Figured Vases Decorated with Heads of Women or of Nike", Journal of Hellenic Studies, LXXIV (1954), 111-121.
Trendall, A. D., Red Figure Vases of South Italy and Sicily: a Handbook, London, Thames and Hudson, 1989, 92-93, 264.
Comparanda:
Boardman, J. and M. Robertson, Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, Great Britain 15, Castle Ashby (1979), Plate 57, 8-9 (a similar oinochoe or shape VIII mug without Hercules knot on handle).
Green, J. R., Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, USA 22, Philadelphia 1 (1986), Plate 21, 1-4 (similar head, but with wings and therefore probably a Nike; different mug shape - VIII b).
Hafner, G., Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, Deutschland 8, Karlsruhe 2 (1952), Tafel 72, 10 (similar shape and decoration).
Mizuta, A., Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, Japan 1 (1981), Tafel 22, 2-3 (same shape with Hercules knot handle).
Moignard, E., Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, Great Britain 16, Edinburgh 1 (1989), Plate 39, 1-4 and 5-8 (vases of same shape with Hercules knots - shape VIII n).
Palange, F. P. P., Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, Italia 47, Como 1 (1970), IV D, Tavola 11, 1 a-c (Nike head on shape VIII b).