Greek Gnathian Pottery Thymiaterion / Incense Burner

Magna Graecia, South Italy, Gnathian, ca. 4th to 3rd century BCE. A beautiful terracotta thymiaterion or incense burner enveloped in a rich black glaze with fugitive white and yellow pigments. Adorning the hollow, conical base is a horizontal row of laurel leaves flanked above and below by parallel striations. The carinated shoulder is then embellished by a pattern of vertical lines surrounded by dots, while the central tier of the thymiaterion features lovely palmette motifs. A horizontal ridge juts out just before the top receptacle, which boasts a circle of rays along the rim, followed by inward facing palmettes and a central tondo of laurel leaves and dotted motifs. An impressive example replete with an elaborate decorative program and an elegant form! Size: 3" W x 6.6" H (7.6 cm x 16.8 cm)

Thymiateria (derived from a Greek word meaning "to smoke") were ancient censers or incense burners used for religious or spiritual purposes such as sacrifices or offerings to the deities. Although the term originated for ancient Greek forms, it is also used for censers created by other ancient peoples such as the Etruscans and the Phoenicians. Interestingly, thymiateria are still used today in Greek Orthodox churches.

Cf. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 26.60.74

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-private T.G. collection, Williston, Florida, USA, acquired in 2000

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#168069
Condition Report: Collection label and number on interior of base. Chips to base and rim. Stable hairline fissure on interior of neck. Repair to base and neck with restoration over break lines. Otherwise, excellent with impressive remaining pigments.