Greek Attic Calyx Krater - Nike & Combatants

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DAY 1 | Classical Antiquities & Asian Art

By Artemis Gallery

Dec 5, 2018

Set Reminder 2018-12-05 10:00:00 2018-12-05 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : DAY 1 | Classical Antiquities & Asian Art https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/day-1-classical-antiquities-asian-art-3698
Day 1 of an important 2-day auction featuring ancient and ethnographic art from around the world. Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Viking, Near Eastern plus Asian Art from China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Burma, India, more. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com

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• Lot Description
  Greece, Athens, Late Attic, ca. 4th century BCE. A large calyx krater decorated via the red-figure technique. Side A presents a beautifully balanced composition featuring winged Nike (Victory) between two male figures holding spears, each one nude save a billowing cloak tied around his neck, leaning upon the bent knee of their outward facing leg with the interior leg stretched toward Nike, and outspread arms. Nike faces the gent to her right, approaching him with open arms as if to congratulate the victor of this battle. Side B presents two standing males donning flowing garments and leaning upon walking sticks. Size: 10.25" W x 11.625" H (26 cm x 29.5 cm)
  
  Also adorning the vessel is a lovely decorative program with a band of laurel leaves just below the rim and a register of Greek key/meander motifs punctuated by a checkerboard variants.
  
  Virtually no ancient Greek paintings have survived the tests of time. This makes the painted compositions found on ceramic vessels like this example invaluable sources of information about ancient Greek visual art. Refined vases like this calyx krater were not merely utilitarian pottery, but rather works of art in their own right, highly prized throughout the classical world. Red figure pieces in particular allowed for the development of more naturalistic imagery than black figure examples. This innovative technique involved creating figures by outlining them in the natural red of the vase, making it possible for the painter to then enrich the figural forms with black lines to suggest volume, perspectival depth, and movement, bringing those silhouettes and their environs to life.
  
  Provenance: private Southern California, USA collection, acquired in the 1970s to mid-1980s
  
  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.
  
  We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
  
  #140919

  Condition

  Expected surface wear with scuffs and scratches commensurate with age. Repaired from multiple pieces with areas of restoration and repainting over the break lines.
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