Apulian Pottery - Gnathia Ware: Pelike
Inv. No.: M1.1
Provenance: Apulia
Date: 300 BC
Height: 363mm
Loan of Graham Geddes.
A finely crafted pelike with a rounded body whose greatest diameter is towards its base. The narrow neck leads to a wide, flaring lip that is flat on top and convex in profile. There is a wide groove underneath the lip and a moulded ridge where it joins the neck. The handles are round in cross section and curve from the top of the neck, beneath the lip, to the shoulder. There is a groove on the shoulder, between the handles, and another groove marks the join of base and foot. The foot is in two degrees with a narrow, flaring upper section and a wide, flat lower section. The latter has a flared profile. There is a wide groove on its upper surface and a narrow groove on the edge. The vase is mainly black with panels of fine vertical ribbing on its body, above and below a scroll frieze painted in white and yellow. This decorative scheme is characteristic of later Gnathian pottery. There are also necklace patterns in white and yellow painted on the black on both sides of the neck. The outside edge of the lower section of the foot is reserved. The vase is in excellent condition except for some minor chips and abrasion of the patterns on Side B.
Function:
A container for wine, oil or water.
Manufacture:
A wheel-made vase with turned foot and lip and hand-made handles.
Decoration:
- On the neck on Side A is a necklace pattern with a pair of yellow lines suspended at each end from a yellow scroll with elongated pendants. The pendant on the right ends in a white teardrop shape while on the left side is a yellow dot and an elongated yellow triangle. Above the yellow lines is a line of yellow crosses and below is a line of short yellow pendants consisting of an elongated teardrop shape with double dots below.
- There is a simpler version of the pattern on Side A on Side B of the neck with a single yellow line suspended from plain scrolls at each end with elongated pendants below. The one on the left has largely been abraded. A line of abraded yellow pendants hangs below the single suspended line.
- Below the shoulder, on each side of the vase, is a panel of fine vertical ribbing, outlined in white.
- Below these panels is a painted frieze that continues around the vase. In the middle of Side A is a three-quarter head, looking left, in white with yellow/brown details and short, curly yellow hair. It is framed by elaborate scrolls. The rest of the frieze consists of a yellow scroll pattern with crosses, abraded on Side B.
- Below the frieze is a band of fine vertical ribbing that continues around the vase. It is outlined in white on its upper border.
Bibliography:
Green, J. R., "Gnathia Addenda", Institute of Classical Studies Bulletin, 18 (1971), 30-38.
Green, J. R., Gnathia Pottery in the Akademisches Kunstmuseum Bonn, Mainz, Verlag Philipp von Zabern, 1976.
Green, J. R., "More Gnathia Pottery in Bonn", Archäologischer Anzeiger (1977), 551-563.
Green, J. R., "Some Painters of Gnathia Vases", Institute of Classical Studies Bulletin, 15 (1968), 34-50.
Green, J. R., "The Gnathia Pottery of Apulia", The Art of South Italy: Vases from Magna Graecia, eds. M. E. Mayo and K. Hamma, Richmond, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 1982, 252-259.
Webster, T. B. L., "Towards a Classification of Apulian Gnathia", Institute of Classical Studies Bulletin, 15 (1968), 1-33.
Comparanda:
Breitenstein, N. and K. Friis Johansen, Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, Danemark 7, Copenhague 7 (1955), IV D, Plate 275, 7.
Green, J. R., Gnathia Pottery in the Akademisches Kunstmuseum Bonn, Mainz, Verlag Philipp von Zabern, 1976, Plate 20 (ribbing).
Green, J. R., "More Gnathia Pottery in Bonn", Archäologischer Anzeiger (1977), Figs. 11-12.
Green, J. R., "Some Painters of Gnathia Vases", Institute of Classical Studies Bulletin, 15 (1968), Plate IX, (a).
Packard, P. M. and P. A. Clement, Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, USA 18, Los Angeles 1 (1977), Plate 44, 2 (similar shape and necklace pattern).
Rocco, A., Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, Italia 24, Napoli 3 (undated), IV, E, Tavola 66, 7 (similar shape and decorative elements).
Webster, T. B. L., "Towards a Classification of Apulian Gnathia", Institute of Classical Studies Bulletin, 15 (1968), Plate III, (e).
Wisseman, S. U., Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, USA 24, Illinois 1 (1989), Plate 59, 3 (slightly earlier example of a pelike with painted decoration).