Rare Miniature Greek Attic Lekythos w/ Sphinx

About Auction

Live

Exceptional Day 1: Antiquities Asian Fine Art...

By Artemis Gallery

May 22, 2019

Set Reminder 2019-05-22 10:00:00 2019-05-22 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Exceptional Day 1: Antiquities Asian Fine Art https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/exceptional-day-1-antiquities-asian-fine-art-4129
Day 1 of an important 2-day auction featuring exceptional art from around the world - Egyptian, Greek, Etruscan, Roman, Viking, Russian, Near Eastern; Asian Art from China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Burma, India; Fine Art from the 17th century to present. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com

View Full Catalog (335)

• Lot Description
  Greek, Athens (Attic), ca. 5th century BCE. A precious Attic red-figured lekythos of a classic form decorated with a finely painted sphinx on the body, egg-and-dart pattern on the shoulder, a black band beneath the red rim, a black lower body with a fine-line black band at the upper end of the otherwise red foot. 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 were reserved for the bath to store precious unguents of sweet and floral aromas. Size: 3.6" H (9.1 cm)
  
  Perhaps the most exciting innovation in Greek vase painting was the red-figure technique, invented in Athens around 525 BCE and beloved by other artists of Magna Graecia. The red-figure technique allowed for much greater flexibility as opposed to the black-figure technique, for now the artist could use a soft, pliable brush rather than a rigid metal graver to delineate interior details, play with the thickness of the lines, as well as build up or dilute glazes to create chromatic effects. The painter would create figures by outlining them in the natural red of the vase, and then enrich these figural forms with black lines to suggest volume, at times perspectival depth, and movement, bringing those silhouettes and their environs to life.
  
  Provenance: private Owen collection, Sussex County, New Jersey, USA, acquired in the 1990s from a US-based dealer
  
  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.
  
  #146035

  Condition

  Minor surface wear commensurate with age. Minute nicks to rim, periphery of shoulder, and foot. Otherwise excellent, and imagery is strong.
• Shipping Info

  • All shipping is handled in-house for your convenience. Your invoice from Artemis Gallery will include shipping calculation instructions. If in doubt, please inquire BEFORE bidding for estimated shipping costs for individual items.

• Buyer's Premium
  • 26.50 %