Magna Graecia, Italy, Apulia / Daunian, ca. 4th century BCE. A fabulous polychrome kyathos or wine ladle displaying a slightly concave, circular base and slender walls that rise to a briefly corseted neck, flared rim, and double-horned handle. The iconographic theme is most definitely avian, with an owl-face handle and an image of a bird in tondo. Owls were popular in Magna Graecia, being symbols Athena and associated with Athens. In addition, geometric decorative passages adorn the handle; this is another characteristic of Daunian vessels. In addition, linear bands of black and red over a cream ground adorn the rim and exterior walls of the vessel, a stylized spoked motif surrounded by equidistantly spaced nested arcs embellishes the underside of the base, and a stylized bird with raised wings adorns the tondo of the vessel. A distinctive and unique vessel. Size: 7" in diameter x 6" H (17.8 cm x 15.2 cm)
Daunian society was a mixture of native Italians and Greeks who had settled in the area. As early as the 6th century BCE, Daunia was an extremely wealthy region as is evidenced by the rich grave goods from the urban centers of Canosa, Arpi, and Salapia among others. The shapes of the vessels remained strongly influenced by the Italians - this one, for example, is a form of the Greek kyathos, or dipper, with a flat, long, looping handle, but the wideness of the strap is purely Daunian.
Provenance: private Corpus Christi, Texas, USA estate collection, acquired 1960s to 1970s
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#165352
Condition
Losses to tips of handle. Repair and restoration to handle. Some nicks, chips, and abrasions throughout, commensurate with age. Otherwise, excellent with light earthen deposits and nice remaining pigments.