Apulian Pottery - Red-Figure Ware: Lekanis
Inv. No.: 95.122
Provenance: Apulia (Metaponto)
Date: 4th century BC
Height: 93mm
Diameter: 148 mm (with handles)
The lid of this lekanis is a low and slightly rounded conical shape. It has a straight, slightly concave rim and a knob at the top, set on a narrow stem with a concave profile. The top of the knob has a raised edge with a sloping inner surface and a small, round central depression. The edge of the knob is also thickened at the top. The bowl has a slightly concave and flaring lip with an inner flange over which the lid is placed. The lip is set on a low rounded floor. Two fine grooves mark the join of floor and lip. The foot has a short stem, concave in profile, leading to a rounded disc base. The two horizontal strap handles are attached just below the top of the lip. The bowl is mainly dull black while the lid is decorated with red-figure profile female heads, perhaps representing Aphrodite or Persephone, as well as floral and geometric decorations. The vase is complete, although chipped and worn in places.
Function:
A shallow, lidded container, used for toiletry or other domestic purposes. The lid could serve as a bowl when inverted.
Manufacture:
A wheel-thrown vase with a turned foot and knob and hand-made handles.
Decoration:
- The raised edge of the top of the knob is reserved and the inner surface is painted black. The central depression is reserved and it is enclosed by a ring of wave pattern painted in black. The thickened outer edge of the knob is also painted black as is the stem.
- The base of the stem is enclosed by a reserved ring. The rest of the lid is decorated with two profile female heads, facing left, between palmettes. Each wears a kekryphalos with black curls at the front and the back plus a stephane and an earring painted in dilute white. On the reserved rim is an inverted wave pattern painted in black.
- The bowl is black with faint vertical black stripes visible on the outer edge of the lip.
Bibliography:
Trendall, A. D., Red Figure Vases of South Italy and Sicily: a Handbook, London, Thames and Hudson, 1989, 92-94.
Comparanda:
Green, J. R., Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, USA 22, Philadelphia 1 (1986), Plate 29 (many examples).
Kranz, P. and R. Lullies, Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, Deutschland 38, Kassel 2 (1975), Tafel 81, 2-3 (small lekanis with female heads).
Romanelli, P., Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, Italia 6, Lecce 2 (1979), IV Dr, Tavola 53, 1 (larger, but similar shape and decorative scheme), Tavola 56, 11-14 (small examples with female heads and palmettes).
Trendall, A. D., Red Figure Vases of South Italy and Sicily: a Handbook, London, Thames and Hudson, 1989, 227, 2 and 4 (female heads on vases of the Darius-Underworld workshop).
Wisseman, S. U., Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, USA 24, Illinois 1 (1989), Plate 52, 2 (larger example).