Campanian Pottery - Black Gloss Ware: Bell Crater
Inv. No.: 98.005
Provenance: Campania
Date: c. 4th century BC
Height: 131mm
Diameter: 135mm
Gift of Fiorella Cottier.
A small bell crater painted all over with shiny, metallic black. The vase has a straight-sided body with a flaring rim at the top; at the bottom it curves smoothly down to join a narrow stem that is set on a disc-shaped foot. The foot is in three degrees and has a flaring profile. There is a groove between the stem and top of the foot which flares sharply. Between the narrow top section of the foot and the wider middle section, there is a small step. The bottom section is also narrow; it has a convex profile. The horizontal handles are round in cross section and attach to the body of the vase, below the flaring rim. They are angled slightly upwards and then curve back towards the side of the vase. The vase is in good condition although it is chipped and pitted, mainly on the inner surface of the mouth.
Function:
Craters were used for mixing wine and water.
Manufacture:
A wheel-thrown and turned vase with hand-made handles.
Bibliography:
Sparkes, B. A. and L. Talcott, The Athenian Agora: Volume XII. Black and Plain Pottery of the 6th, 5th and 4th centuries BC: Part 1, Princeton, New Jersey, The American School of Classical Studies at Athens, 1970, "Krater", 54-55.
Comparanda:
Hoppin, J. C. and A. Gallatin, Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, USA 1, Hoppin and Galatin (1926), Plate 31, 13 (smaller version).
Ingen, W. van, Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, USA 3, Michigan 1 (1933), III, IV, Plate XIX, 13-14, 16-17 (all slightly larger; similar shape).
Mayence, F. and V. Verhoogen, V., Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, Belgique 3, Bruxelles 3 (1949), IV E, Plate 3, 46 (larger).
Rossignani, M. P., Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, Italia 56, Parma 2 (1970), IV D, Tavola 3, 1 (very similar shape, but larger).
Sparkes, B. A. and L. Talcott, The Athenian Agora: Volume XII. Black and Plain Pottery of the 6th, 5th and 4th centuries BC: Part 2, Princeton, New Jersey, The American School of Classical Studies at Athens, 1970, Plate 3, 61 (Attic example).