Ancient Greece, Athens, ca. early 5th century BCE. A beautiful black-figure, white ground lekythos - a vessel used to hold perfumes or other scented oils - depicting a bearded Dionysos (Dionysus - Roman Bacchus) draped in flowing garments, donning a wreath in his coiffure, and reclining between two seated draped musicians, the fellow on the left holding a tambourine in his extended hand, the fellow on the right perhaps holding a lyre, though this is difficult to discern. The scene is further embellished with flowing grapevine tendrils. In addition, the lekythos is graced by a lovely decorative program on the shoulder - featuring a band of stylized palmettes and a band of rays above, and below the scene, the body and foot are covered in a lustrous black glaze save a thick red line. Size: 8.875" H (22.5 cm)
Lekythoi were used for storing oil used for a wide variety of purposes in the Classical World. While larger examples were usually designated for keeping olive oil, smaller more delicate examples like this one were reserved for the bath to store precious unguents of sweet and floral aromas. This beautiful vessel was most likely created for an elegant lady's toilette.
Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-old collection of archaeologist and Professor Rudolf Paulsen, Munich (passed away in 1985)
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#144382
Condition
Chips to handle. Nicks to rim of spout. Stabilized V-shaped crack to lower end of body. Ink mark to lower right of Dionysos. Expected surface wear with some loss to white ground and a few scuffs/scratches as shown. Areas of encrustation to body and area between lower body and foot as shown.