**First Time At Auction**
Ancient Greece, Athens, ca. early 5th century BCE. A beautiful wheel-thrown pottery lekythos - a vessel used to hold perfumes or other scented oils - finely painted via the black-figure technique. The side panel of the ancient vessel depicts several striding figures, all walking in a row as though taking part in a procession, as one figure holds a large lyre. In addition to this iconographic program is a lovely frieze of a starburst motif on the vessel's shoulder and lustrous black glaze envelops the lower section of the body to the upper surface of the foot as well as the spout and single, gently arching strap handle. Size: 2.875" in diameter x 8" H (7.3 cm x 20.3 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 Houston, Texas, USA collection, purchased from dealers, beginning in the late 1980s to as recently as 2017
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#163100
Condition
Repaired from several pieces with break lines and adhesive visible, as well as some minor losses along break lines. Expected nicks, chips, and abrasions, commensurate with age. Otherwise, very nice with rich earthen deposits and liberal remains of painted detail.