Greek Attic Olpe w/ Nike, ex-Museum, ex-Sotheby

Ancient Greece, Athens, ca. 500 BCE. A striking Attic black-figure olpe featuring Nike - the winged goddess of victory, speed, and strength - in composite profile, donning flowing garments with incised drapery folds and trims, her wings projecting outwards, assuming a victorious pose that certainly demonstrates her power. She is flanked by a pair of attendants, a male and a female, each one standing in profile, facing Nike, and holding a very long spear. The entire composition is beneath an attractive register of alternating striated and beaded bands. A wonderful example with fabulous provenance. Size: 5.375" in diameter x 8.75" H (13.7 cm x 22.2 cm)

This vessel presents a wonderful example of Attic black-figure painting - a painting technique from the Archaic period. The artist first painted with slipware and then carefully scratched into it with a type of needle in order to incise the lines, thus creating delightful figures and patterns. In this case, the artist has depicted Nike, a popular figure featured in a variety of vessels from this period.

This piece has been tested using thermoluminescence (TL) analysis and has been found to be ancient and of the period stated. A full report will accompany purchase.

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-Artemis Gallery; ex-Cincinnati Art Museum, acquired in 1884, (accession no. 1884.219); Property of Cincinnati Art Museum; Antiquities, Sotheby's, New York, 14 December 1994, lot 258

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#149868
Condition Report: Missing handle. Surface pitting with black fill in the pits. Loss to base. Repaired from multiple pieces with area of restoration to lower right of central panel. Accompanied by old Sotheby's auction tag.