Lot 13A
Greek South Italic colonies / Magna Graecia, Apulia, ca. 340 to 310 BCE. A large bell krater, decorated in the Ornate Style of red figure painting. The krater has a wide mouth with a flaring rim, handles that curve upward, and stands on a sturdy, round foot. One side depicts a scene featuring a nude man in a crouch, holding a long spear and wearing what looks like a horse tail. He is facing a woman who is turned away from him, holding a large round object - probably a shield - and who wears a gown that exposes one breast, indicating that she is an Amazon. On the other side is a much more staid scene: two men, fully clothed, stand in conversation. One leans on a staff. A trozella decoration, an Italic symbol, is painted above their heads. Flowering palmette motifs separate the two scenes on the body, while leaves decorate the underside of the rim and a repeated labyrinth motif forms the lower border of the painted scenes. Size: 12.8" W x 13.2" H (32.5 cm x 33.5 cm)
Apulian red figure pottery in the middle of the fourth century saw an explosion of production. These items, originally intended solely for elites, and produced with elaborate, personalized scenes, became objects that someone without great wealth could purchase for their grave. One result of this mass marketization was the repetition of certain themes in the painted decoration: women, who were the chief mourners in this society, and certain mythological scenes, like the Amazon here, were popular. Although scholarly debate rages on the topic, it seems likely that the theatre inspired many of the scenes found on tomb pottery - implying that not just the very wealthy patronized the theatre in the Greek South Italic colonies, but that it was a form of pop culture enjoyed by a wide swath of society.
Provenance: private Carlton collection, Los Angeles, California, USA
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#122067
- Condition: Repaired from multiple pieces with some restoration along the break lines. Although repairs are visible, they are unobtrusive.
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