Greek Gnathian Ribbed Bottle - Silvery Iridescence!

Magna Graecia, Southern Italy, Ignazia, Gnathian Teano Ware, ca. 340 to 320 BCE. An elegant vessel created in a pottery workshop in the Apulia region of southern Italy where potters were known for applying fugitive pigments to their pieces. This vessel presents a lovely form comprised of a ribbed, piriform body upon a tiered, round concave foot, a slender neck, and a flared rim. The finish is stunning - presenting a black glazed surface that has attained beautiful silvery iridescence - and a sinuous ivy vine in white with pink berries adorning the shoulder. On the neck are white frets with pink dots accentuating the lower ends. Overall, a lovely example that demonstrates skillful technique and a refined polychromatic effect characteristic of Gnathia. Size: 6.25" H (15.9 cm)

Gnathia ware is named for the site where it was first discovered - the Apulian site of Egnathia (also Gnatia, Egnatia, Ignazia). The black glaze ware is traditionally decorated with floral and other decorative motifs in red, white, or yellow hues. Scholars believe that its production most likely was centered around Taras, with primary workshops in Egnathia and Canosa. The quantity and quality of Greek colonial Apulian potters increased significantly following the Peloponnesian War when Attic exports dramatically decreased. Apulian artistry demonstrates influences of Ionian (Athenian, Attic) conventions, as well as Doric (western colonial Greek) styles, with a palpable native Italian aesthetic.

Provenance: ex-private William Froelich collection, New York, USA, 1970s

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#149857
Condition Report: Areas of weathering film/earthen deposits. Normal surface wear with slight losses to pigments, but most remains quite vivid as shown. Black ground has attained marvelous silvery iridescence.