Description:

Greece, Corinth, Rhodes, or eastern Greece, Archaic period, ca. 600 BCE. A gorgeous aryballos with a harpy and a swan painted in the "Orientalizing" style around the exterior. An aryballos is a vessel with a small, round/ovoid body and a narrow neck terminating in a slightly flared, very narrow spout. The broad, flat lip is designed to prevent spillage. Aryballoi often served as containers for scented oil, like the kind used by athletes, or for medicine. Harpies were originally personifications of wind spirits, and their early depictions, like this one, depict them as beautiful women (later, the Romans began to describe them as hideous and hungry). The harpy's form is mirrored by the swan, whose prominent head, beak, and outstretched wings give it the appearance of preparing for takeoff. Size: 2.3" W x 2.3" H (5.8 cm x 5.8 cm)

Provenance: private Orange County, California, USA collection, acquired before 2000

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#153657

  • Condition: Intact, with light wear to pigment as shown, but overall very nice preservation of motifs, especially the harpy and the swan. Small scratches and nicks commensurate with age. Light deposits on surface.

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May 21, 2020 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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