Magna Graecian Apulian Terracotta Red-Figure Epichysis

£ 1,295.00

A very fine ancient Greek terracotta epichysis from the South Italian Apulian region. The vessel presents a characteristic spool-shaped body with domed shoulders leading to a slender neck and a narrow, steeply angled spout. A tall handle rises above the spout in an elegant curve, before bending back down to join the shoulder. A protruding, moulded, stylised head terminal has been placed at the point of separation between the handle and the pouring spout on either side, to further enrich the composition.

Painted in the red figure technique with decorative details added in white tones, the shoulders of the epichysis present a profile bust of ‘lady of fashion’ facing left. She is portrayed wearing an elaborate beaded headpiece, with her hair tied in a chignon with a ribbon. The rest of the field is filled with curved swirl motifs and a palmette at the base of the handle. To the centre, black vertical lines embellish the lower half of the neck. An outer band of rays frames the entire design.

The vessel has been enriched with a black glaze across the upper neck, the spout, the handle and the body with a frontal frieze of white laurel leaves painted on top, whilst a groove is reserved at the top and bottom.

Date: Circa 4th century BC
Provenance: Acquired on the German art market. Formerly in a private German collection. Acquired HannoVerum GmbH Auktions - und Handelshaus, Hanover, Germany. Ex property of a Swiss collector.
Condition: Very fine condition with minor chipping and scratching of the paint. Minor chips to the handle.

SOLD

The lustrous black gloss of this vessel indicates that it is from the Apulian region of southern Italy. 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. Items from Apulia are characterised by their glossy black glaze and by polychromatic pigments of white, ochre, and maroon.

The epichysis was used in Ancient Greece for pouring substances such as wine or oil. The slender and concaved neck allowed the wine to be distributed with a level of control. Epichysis usually features a spool-shaped body, like this beautiful example, although other forms such as the pyriform shape also exist.

To find out more about the different types of Greek vessels please visit our relevant blog post: Type of Ancient Greek Vases.

Weight 203.4 g
Dimensions W 8.8 x H 15.4 cm
Culture

Region

Pottery and Porcelain

Reference: For a similar item, The British Museum, item 1978,0414.39

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