Greek Campanian Blackware Guttus - Head of Medusa

**Originally Listed At $350**

Magna Graecia, Southern Italy, Campania, ca. 360 to 320 BCE. A classic blackware guttus (or guttos) form with a rounded, ribbed body, a single loop handle, a high spout with a funnel mouth and an everted rim adorned with concentric rings, and a raised, tiered spool foot, all presenting a lustrous jet-black finish save the underside of the foot which presents traces of red hues. In addition, there is an incised makers mark between the handle and the spout. The tondo is decorated in low relief with the head of Medusa, the mythical female monster with venomous snakes for hair and a gaze which could instantly turn a man into stone. The concept of a gorgon is at least as old as Homer and continued to be used as a monstrous symbol throughout the Roman and post-classical period, especially popular as decoration on pottery. Size: 4.75" W from handle to opposite end x 4.125" H (12.1 cm x 10.5 cm)

Provenance: private J.H. collection, Beaverton, Oregon, USA, acquired in September 2005; ex-Tom Cederlind collection, Portland, Oregon, USA

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#150195
Condition Report: Handle and spout possibly reattached with restoration and areas of repainting. Nice craquelure to paint over and around Medusa on tondo. Normal surface wear with scuffs and minute pigment loss commensurate with age. A few nicks to periphery of the base and spout. Old collection label on underside.