Marvelous Greek Apulian Red Figure Volute Krater

Magna Graecia, Southern Italy, Apulia, ca. 330 to 320 BCE. An exceptional and quite large ceramic volute krater presenting an elegant form with intriguing iconography and elaborate decoration, all finely delineated via the red-figure technique with additional fugitive white, yellow, and red pigments - as well as relief gorgoneia volutes adorning the handles. Displaying a classical volute krater form, the stunning vessel displays a bulbous body with a rounded bottom, a carinated shoulder, a concave neck, and a flared and folded rim, all sitting upon a pedestal leg and tiered foot. An exceptional and important work displaying mesmerizing artistry and the utmost technique. Size: 14" in diameter x 23.8" H (35.6 cm x 60.5 cm)

Side A of this volute krater presents the figure of a woman, perhaps a goddess, dressed in a flowing peplos and plumed headdress as she steps to her left and turns her head right. She carries a fan in her right hand and a cista or casket and garland in her left with a drape falling from the crook of her left elbow. A large palmette topped with a vegetal motif border adorns the neck of Side A.

Alternatively, Side B exhibits 2 confronting figures - a soldier and attendant - standing within a naiskos (shrine). The soldier stands to the left, slightly hunched over as he leans on his spear and shield for support. His attendant faces him, holding a dish in his right hand, which he places in front of him, and a bunch of grapes in his left, behind him. Both figures are nude, save for a red cloak draped from the shoulders of the soldier. Surrounding this pair of figures and the naiskos are a pair of Doric columns, while above lies a slender row of egg-and-dart design. The neck of Side B is painted with the head of a male, perhaps Apollo, shown at 3/4 view wearing a wreath or diadem and emerging from a stylized flower (or possibly patera) and flanked by a verdant surround of flowering sinuous vines, capped with a register of alternating rosettes and target motifs. A pair of beautiful, swirling palmettes separate Side A from Side B.

Below each side is a band of stopped meander pattern and above is a register of tongues that decorate the shoulder. The flared rim is skillfully adorned with a slender ring of bead and reel motif below a thicker band of an ocean-like wave pattern in a meander format. The outermost edge of the rim is then embellished by a pattern of vertical dashes on Side A and another register of tongues on Side B. The leg and foot of the vessel are enveloped in a rich coat of black glaze.

Refined vases like this volute krater were not merely utilitarian pottery, but rather works of art in their own right, highly prized throughout the classical world. Furthermore, virtually no ancient Greek paintings have survived the tests of time. This makes the painted compositions found on ceramic vessels like this example invaluable sources of information about ancient Greek visual art. Red figure pieces in particular allowed for the development of more naturalistic imagery than black figure examples. This innovative technique involved creating figures by delineating them in the natural red of the vase, making it possible for the painter to then enrich the figural forms with black lines to suggest volume, perspectival depth, and movement, bringing those silhouettes and their environs to life. Beyond this, fugitive pigments made it possible for the artist to create additional layers of interest and detail.

Cf. an example attributed to the Baltimore Painter at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 69.11.7

This piece has been searched against the Art Loss Register database and has been cleared. The Art Loss Register maintains the world's largest database of stolen art, collectibles, and antiques.

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-T.G. collection, Williston, Florida, USA, #2842, acquired June 2001; ex-private Denver, Colorado, USA collection

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#167961
Condition Report: Repair to handles with restoration at base of each and some break lines visible. Minor areas of chipping throughout, some with a minor amount of surface loss. Stable hairline fissure near bottom of naiskos. Some expected cracking to paint, as well as nicks and a few abrasions, commensurate with age. Possible repainting to some small areas. Otherwise, excellent with impressive remaining pigments and remarkable preservation of detail.