BEAUTIFUL WESTERN ASIATIC DECORATED VESSEL

c. 3rd century BC. Western Asiatic, Greco-Bactrian. An elegant ceramic vessel with an ovoid body and ring foot; a studded strap handle projects from the top of the vessel. The handle is flanked by a cylindrical spout and a lever-handle terminating in a ram's head protome. The handles, spout and body are painted with extensive geometric designs over several registers in red, yellow, cream and black hues. The Greco-Bactrian Kingdom was, along with the Indo-Greek Kingdom, the easternmost part of the Hellenistic world, covering Bactria and Sogdiana in Central Asia from 256 to 125 BC. It was centered in the north of present-day Afghanistan. Good condition Provenance: From an old British collection formed in the 1990s, formerly acquired in the UK and European Art Market. Size: L:140mm / W:190mm ; 520g