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THBGreek Attic Black-Figure Skyphos w/ Sphinxes & Harpy
Lot 32
About Seller
Artemis Gallery
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
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Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$5,000 - $7,500
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About Auction
Live
By Artemis Gallery
Jun 29, 2023
Set Reminder
2023-06-29 10:00:00
2023-06-29 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Exceptional Antiquities, Ethnographic and Fine Art
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/exceptional-antiquities-ethnographic-and-fine-art-13031
Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (339)
- Lot Description
Greece, Athens / Attic, ca. 5th century BCE. An impressive pottery skyphos boasting black-figure decoration of both real and mythical creatures in an alternating band that horizontally encompasses the exterior of the vessel. Minimalist in form, the elegant dish presents a bowl-shaped body with a gently-flared rim and a pair of upward-swooping handles, all supported by a narrow, discoid foot. The animals line the areas between the handles. On one side, a pair of sphinxes and a pair of lions stride right with the lions turning their heads back, as a single dog confronts one sphinx. Similarly, on the opposite side, a pair of lionesses accompanied by a bird and a harpy. A fabulous example of fantastical zoomorphic imagery in ancient Athens! Size: 9" W x 3.9" H (22.9 cm x 9.9 cm)
Although the Great Sphinx of Giza is certainly the most famous, sphinxes have a large place in Greek mythology as well - probably because of the intermixing of Egyptian and Greek culture via trade routes across the Mediterranean. The Greek version of the creature has the head of a human female, the body of a lioness, the wings of an eagle, and a serpent's tail. Famously, the sphinx asks a riddle of travelers to the city of Thebes, which is solved by Oedipus. The Greek version of the sphinx is also sometimes associated with Hera, wife of Zeus.
Harpies were originally personifications of wind spirits, and the earliest pottery, like this one, depicts them as beautiful women with graceful bird bodies.
This piece presents strong Attic black-figure painting technique. The artist first painted with slipware and then carefully scratched into it with a type of needle in order to incise the lines, thus creating delightful figures and patterns. In this case, the artist has depicted lions, an ancient symbol of fierceness and power, as well as favored items to be hunted, as well as sphinxes, a dog, a harpy, and birds.
Provenance: private Orange County, California, USA collection acquired before 2000
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
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#178917Professionally repaired with some light restoration and repainting over break lines and restoration to one handle. Light surface wear as shown, but otherwise excellent with nice preservation of painted imagery.Condition
- Shipping Info
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