Greek Mycenaean Bi-Chrome Pottery Pyxis

Ancient Greece, Sub-Mycenaean Period, ca. 1100 to 950 BCE. A fine wheel-thrown pottery pyxis of a squat form with concentric circles adorning the lightly-rounded base. A trio of applied loop handles rings the sloping shoulder, and a corseted neck expands upwards to form a thick, flared rim. The pale orange-slipped exterior is accentuated with red-brown pigment which covers the rim and each handle, forms one thick swath enclosed with a pair of slender stripes along the lower body, and creates abstract leaves as well as concentric semicircles on the upper body. Lucite display stand for photography purposes only. Size: 4.125" W x 3" H (10.5 cm x 7.6 cm).

This period is so named for the palace at Mycenae, famed in Homeric legend as the opulent seat of King Agamemnon. Excavations at the palace at Mycenae revealed an elite and long-lasting society with a great deal of wealth. This extended to the workshops of artisans who produced pottery like this vessel both for use in Greece and throughout the Mediterranean world; shiploads of similar jars went out as far as the Levant and Spain, carrying oil, wine, and other commodities.

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-Richard Wagner collection, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA, acquired in the 1960s

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#146184
Condition Report: Small chips to rim, handles, body, and base, with fading to some areas of pigmentation, and light encrustations within interior. Light earthen deposits throughout.