**First Time At Auction**
Greek, Southern Italy, northern Apulia, Daunia, ca. 6th to 4th BCE. A terracotta horn-handled wine ladle with geometric decorations and a round, shallow bowl with painted thick bands of black and red encircling its interior and exterior. The strap handle has a stylized head resembling an owl between the horns, then another set of eyes and a fine line diamond and rectangular design further down on the front of handle. In tondo are a series of concentric circles, sometimes thought to be a ward against the evil eye. Size: 6.75" W x 6.5" H (17.1 cm x 16.5 cm)
Bat symbolism in the ancient Classical World is fascinating. The ancients would have compared them in some regards to human women, because of their two breasts and the fact that they give birth to only one or rarely two offspring at a time. They also, as in many cultures, were associated with the underworld and death, presumably because of their nocturnal habits and fondness for dark places like cave ceilings. Bats were sacred to Persephone, wife of Hades, and goddess of the underworld. Homer describes the souls of the dead: "Just as inside the corners of a monstrous cave/ bats flit around and squeak when one of them falls down/ out of the cluster on the rock where they cling/ to one another, that is how these spirits squawked as they moved on together." As this vessel was almost certainly made to grace a tomb, the bat symbolism complements its function.
Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-Ancient Resource, Los Angeles, California, USA
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#140475
Condition
Handle has been repaired in two different places. Small loss from tip of handle. Surface wear commensurate with age, with nice remaining pigment.