Ancient Greek Pottery Attic, Big Lekythos with image of god Busiris. Att. Brygos Painter. 42,8 cm H. TL test. Important.

Lekythos with the image of Busiris - Attached is a certificate of Thermoluminescence - - BIG SIE 42,8 cm H - Attic, Greek, circa 460 BC Attributed to the Brygos Painter Pottery Height 42. 8 cm. PROVENANCE: Private collection of A. H. , in England, formed before 1987. Private collection, Barcelona, 2011. CONDITION: Good see photos, rejoined of all original fragments. Figure good state. DESCRIPTION: A pottery vase in the form of a lekythos with the representation of Busiris on the front. A lekythos is a typology of Greek pottery used to store perfumed oil for used in the care of the body. This type of receptacle was also used as a funerary vessel. They are characterised by a long form with a narrow neck and a wide mouth but which allows at the same time a control of the flow of oil and facilitates its application. This image of Busiris shows him as a man of advanced age, with a beard and with the first signs of balding. He is shown with his face in profile looking to the right, his torso turned towards the front but with his body from the waist down also in profile, and in this case shown in movement towards the left. This distribution gives a sense of movement forward, indeed a sensation of the figure running while turning his head to look backwards. The idea of movement and dynamism is accentuated with the drawing of the pleated clothing in a manner that suggests volume and movement in the same direction as the figure. The individual is clothed in a tunic made of a light, fine material which allows the form of the body to be seen perfectly through it as well as the anatomical details of the pectorals. The clothing exhibits multiple vertical pleats and at the level of the thighs we can observe an overlay of fabric in the form of a short skirt tied with a red band. The sandals of the figure seem to be based on a frieze in the form of a band of meander. In his left hand he is supporting an object of overlapping canes in a cylindrical form and of a large size that goes over his shoulder. It may represent a torch, the symbol of tyranny and cruelty against the people. In his right hand he is holding an oenochoe and near his left foot a broken krater can be seen. Busiris was, in Greek mythology, a king of Egypt. It is said that he was the son of Poseidon, god of the seas, and of Lysianassa, granddaughter of the god of the river Nile. Busiris comes from the Greek name of a place in Egypt which in Egyptian was called Dyed, Djed or Dyedu. It was the centre for the cult of Osiris, and for this the Greeks chose this name. He is described as a cruel and tyrannical king who expelled Proteus; moreover he tried to kidnap the Hesperides and thereby provoked the anger of the gods. Busiris wanted to assuage their anger by offering in sacrifice all foreigners who found themselves in Egypt. In this way, Heracles was to be one of those who were to be sacrificed. However, the hero managed to gain his freedom and killed Busiris, thus freeing the Egyptians. The Brygos Painter was the name given to an Attic red-figure painter of the Late Archaic period. He was active in the first third of the 5th Century BC, above all in the years 480 and 470 BC. He was a prolific artist to whom have been attributed more than two hundred vases. He is best known for the Brygos Cup, a red-figure kylix in the Louvre Museum which depicts the “ilupersis” or sack of Troy. Conventionally, the name of the Brygos Painter is derived from the potter Brygos, known for his signature on pieces of his work. It seems that he produced most of the vases produced by Brygos. His name appears on various vases and cups from the end of the 6th Century and the beginning of the 5th Century. It is not known if the signature refers to the potter or the painter, or even if the two functions were separate. By convention they are known as two distinct persons. As well as his red-figure vases he is also known for his vases made with the white-ground technique. Stylistically, the influence of Onesimos is notable, in the twisting of the limbs and the dramatic foreshortening. It is possible that the relationship was one of master and disciple. His drawing is not of great precision but the postures of his figures and the expressiveness of their faces are exceptional, as in this case. He is considered to be the archaic painter who has reached the greatest mastery of the postures of painted figures. His style is characterised by the depiction of figures with flat-topped heads, long noses and narrow eyes with high, arching eyebrows. His skill in painting the human mouth is exceptional. He is capable of showing figures whistling, singing, playing the flute or pressing their lips together with a high degree of anatomical accuracy. His treatment of the hair and beard of his figures is typical of his work. He usually represents unshaven figures and ones with early signs of balding. He is one of the painters who manage to capture and express age: he could paint a child to look truly like a child and not like a small adult. Many of his figures show the effect of age. All this indicates that his work was based on keen observation. The Brygos Painter was associated with a broader circle of artists who were influenced by him and may even have worked with him in a workshop of the potter Brygos. These include the Foundry Painter, the Briseis Painter, the Dokimasia Painter, the Painter of the Louvre G 265 and the Painter of the Paris Gigantomachy. Red-figure pottery was one of the most important figurative styles of Greek production. It developed in Greece around the year 530 B. C. and was used until the 3rd Century B. C. It took the place of the previously dominant style of black-figure pottery within a few decades. The technical base was the same in both cases, but in the red-figure pieces the colour was reversed, so that the figures stood out against a dark background as if they were lit up by theatrical lighting, following a more natural scheme. The painters who worked with black figures were forced to keep motifs clearly separated one from the other and to limit the complexity of the illustration. In contrast, the red-figure technique allowed greater freedom. Each figure was silhouetted against a dark background allowing the painters to render anatomic details with greater exactitude and variety. The technique consisted of painting motifs on a still moist piece, using a transparent glossy slip which, on firing, took on an intense black coloration. The motifs were therefore invisible before the firing and so painters had to work completely from memory without seeing the result of their work beforehand. Once the piece had been fired the zones not covered by the slip retained the reddish tone of the clay, while those that had been “painted” with the slip took on a dense, brilliant black coloration. PARALLELS -\t. Attica Hydria showing Hercules killing Busiris and his followers, ca. 480 BC. Staatliche Antikensammlungen, Germany (inventory number 2428) . -\t. Caere Hydria showing Hercules and Busiris. 520 – 510 BC. Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. -\t. Pelike with hercules fighting Bus. Iris. Pan Painter, 470 BC. National Museum, Athens. Notes: - The piece includes authenticity certificate. - The piece includes Spanish Export License (Passport for European Union) . NOT TAXES. - According to Spanish legislation, items sent outside the European Union are subject to export taxes and will be added to the invoice, at the buyer's expense. These export fees are fixed on the final auction price and the tax rate is not applied directly on the total value of the item to be exported, but rather the different percentages by sections are applied to it: - Up to 6,000 euros: 5%. - From 6. 001 to 60. 000 euros: 10%. This export permit application process can take between 1-2 months maximum. - The seller guarantees that he acquired this piece according to all national and international laws related to the ownership of cultural property. Provenance statement seen by Catawiki.