From the 8th century BC onwards, southern Italy was populated by a vast number of Greek colonies, so much so that the Romans referred to the area as Magna Graecia – ‘Great Greece’. These Greek colonies were instrumental in bringing Greek culture to Italy, greatly influencing Roman literature, philosophy, and material culture in turn. Greek pottery from Southern Italy, especially in the Apulia region, is most characteristically defined by the glossy black finish, which would have been seen on this piece.
This vessel resembles the feature of a ‘kantharos’, a form of Greek drinking vessel with two distinctive high handles. The ‘kantharos’ are mostly used for ritualistic consumption of wine, or for pouring libations. On account of this religious significance, the kantharos became a familiar attribute of the god of wine, Dionysus, who was also associated with vegetation and fertility.
To find out more about the different types of Greek vessels please visit our relevant blog post: Types of Ancient Greek Vases.
