Greek Attic St. Valentine Sessile Kantharos TL Tested

Ancient Greece, Athens, St. Valentine (also St. Valentin) type, ca. 4th century BCE. A beautiful wheel-thrown pottery footed drinking mug known as a sessile kantharos with a captivating decorative program across the black-glazed exterior. The bell-shaped vessel presents with a squat, discoid foot, a pair of curved handles sprouting from the walls, and a flared rim surrounding the deep basin. The composition's obverse features registers of feathered columns and palmettes, horizontal grape leaves, petite frets, and inversely corresponding wave motifs. Displayed on the verso is a band of dense latticework, faint ivy vines and leaves, additional frets, and concentric tongues. The intricate embellishments are illustrated in burnt sienna and cream pigments atop the black ground, giving the piece an intriguing chromatic contrast that catches the eye and the imagination. Size: 6" W x 4.1" H (15.2 cm x 10.4 cm)

For additional information on the St. Valentine type, please see Howard, Seymour and Franklin P. Johnson. "The Saint-Valentin Vases." American Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 58, No. 3 (July 1954), pp. 191-207.

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: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, acquired before 2010

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.

Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.

#145279
Condition Report: Professionally repaired from several large pieces, with restoration along some break lines, and resurfacing with overpainting along new material and break lines. Minor abrasions and fading to some areas of fugitive pigment. Great preservation of decorative motifs throughout. Two old inventory labels beneath foot. Two TL drill holes beneath foot and one on underside of 1 handle.