Hydria; Magna Grecia, Campania, 4th century BC.

Hydria; Magna Grecia, Campania, 4th century BC.Ceramics of red figures.Attached thermoluminescence.Presents restorations and repainting on fracture lines.Provenance: private collection, France.Measures: 37,5 x 24 x 19 cm.Piece made in Campania, located in northern Italy, the main center of ceramic production of Magna Grecia, whose pieces were often characterized by the rich polychrome ornamentation. From 320 BC onwards. Athens no longer exported pottery, and only a few vessels were made, which were given as prizes to athletes in the Panathenaeans. Pottery from the Italic Peninsula then took the place of Athenian pottery in the Mediterranean market. The Italian pieces came from different centers, among which the city of Canosa in northern Italy stands out, often characterized by a rich polychrome ornamentation. The piece is set on a circular base, from which a cylindrical foot gives way to the body of the Hydria. This transition between the lower zone and the body of the vessel is delimited by a decoration in the form of a fretwork, which forms a swell. A much more intricate ornamental pattern can be observed on the belly. It is a figurative scene, which is composed of a warrior standing in the center of the scene, flanked by two seated ladies. All the figures are placed in profile to the viewer; the warrior, protagonist of the scene, carries spear and shield, while the ladies each hold a mirror, in which they look at each other flirtatiously. In the upper area, on the shoulders of the vessel, there is a design based on palmettes and vine leaves, which indicate the purpose of the Hydria, although it was normally used to contain water and not wine. At the ends of the shoulders there are two small handles and at the back there is a larger one that joins the long cylindrical neck, decorated with black and red longitudinal bands. The same decoration is found on the lip of the hollowed-out mouth of the vessel.The hydria is a ceramic typology from ancient Greece, used to transport water (hence its name). It is a vessel with three handles: two lateral ones, to lift and transport the piece, and a third central one, used to lift the hydria and pour its contents. Red-figure pottery was one of the most important figurative styles of Greek ceramics. It was developed in Athens around 530 B.C., and was used until the 3rd century B.C. It replaced the previous predominant style of black-figured pottery within a few decades. The technical basis was the same in both cases, but in the red figures the coloring is inverted, the figures being highlighted on a dark background, as if they were illuminated by a theatrical light, following a more natural scheme. Painters working with black figures were forced to keep the motifs well separated from each other and to limit the complexity of the illustration. In contrast, the red-figure technique allowed greater freedom. Each figure was silhouetted against a black background, allowing painters to portray anatomical details with more accuracy and variety. Over time these decorations would become more complex, incorporating numerous details in both black and white, which enhanced the narrative and decorative sense of the depictions.