South Italian Pottery - Red-Figure Ware: Lekythos
Inv. No.: 95.126
Provenance: South Italy (Metaponto)
Date: 4th century BC
Height: 104mm
Diameter: 150mm
This squat lekythos has an ovoid body with a sloping shoulder and narrow neck. The mouth is missing. The body curves in slightly at the bottom to meet the disc foot. There is a groove between body and foot. The strap handle curves up from the top of the neck and then down on to the shoulder. The clay is a pale orange colour. The handle and what remains of the mouth are black. The neck and top of the shoulder are reserved and the neck is decorated with black tongues. Most of the body is black except for red-figure floral decorations and a profile female head. There is a reserved band around the bottom of the body, then a thin black band. The top of the foot is black and the bottom reserved. Much of the decoration is worn and covered with incrustation. This shape and decorative scheme were popular in the various regions where vases were produced South Italy.
Function:
A container for oil or perfumed oil, used for domestic or funerary purposes.
Manufacture:
A wheel-thrown and turned vase with a hand-made handle.
Decoration:
- The reserved neck is decorated with long vertical black tongues.
- On the body, on the side opposite the handle, is a red-figure profile female head, facing left, wearing a kekryphalos decorated with three dot groups and black rays. There are black curls at the front and a bunch of black hair emerges at the back. Some areas of the background at the front and back of the head have not been properly filled in with black.
- Beneath the handle is a large red palmette with side scrolls plus a small comb palmette to the left of the head.
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:
Deppert, K., Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, Deutschland 50, Frankfurt am Main 3 (1982), Tafel 46, 5-7 (Campanian example with comb palmettes).
Green, J. R., Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, USA 22, Philadelphia 1 (1986), Plate 24, 3-5 (Apulian example of similar shape with similar three dot decoration on the kekryphalos; c. 320 BC).
Hafner, G., Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, Deutschland 8, Karlsruhe 2 (1952), Tafel 76, 8 (Campanian example).
Rückert, B., Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, Deutschland 69, Tübingen 7 (1997), Tafel 16, 3-6 (similar shape; Apulian example from c. 340/30 BC).
Trendall, A. D., The Red-figured Vases of Lucania, Campania and Sicily: First Supplement, University of London, Institute of Classical Studies, Bulletin Supplement No. 26, 1970, Plate XX, 5 (Campanian example).
Ure, P. N. and A. D. Ure, Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, Great Britain 12, Reading 1 (1954), IV C, IV D, Plate 32, 9 (similar shape; probably Apulian).