Greek Red-figure Glaux Skyphos

4th century BC. A red-figures skyphos, decorated on each side with an owl standing between two sprays of olive, the owl’s body shown in profile facing the viewer’s right, while its head is turned full-face, below the owl is depicted a narrow reserved line, encircling the cup's circumference. See Johnson, F. B., ‘An Owl Skyphos’, in Mylonas, G., Studies Presented to David Moore Robinson on His Seventieth Birthday, vol. 2, St. Louis, 1953, pp.96-105. 171 grams, 16cm (6 1/4"). Property of a private collector; previously acquired on the UK art market in the 1980s. Bubo was the holy beloved magical owl of the goddess Athena, and it was a common subject from the Greek ceramists. The owl-skyphos, originally produced in 5th century Athens, was extremely popular and was exported from Athens to other parts of the Greek world, including southern Italy and Etruria. Local imitations have been excavated at Corinth, and during the fourth century, or perhaps even slightly earlier, skyphoi similar to those from Athens were produced in Apulia and Etruria. [A video of this lot can be viewed on the Timeline Auctions website]
Condition Report: Fine condition.