Rare Apulian / Messapian Pottery Askos TL Tested

Magna Graecia, South Italic, Apulia, Messapian, ca. 5th to 3rd century BCE. A gorgeous pottery askos presenting a bulbous body sitting upon an applied, discoid foot. Slightly resembling a bird or a duck, the ancient vessel presents a slender neck with a flared spout on one side and a pinched tail on the other. A trifurcated handle loops from the neck of the vessel to the back end near the tail. Black paint adorns the beige-hued ground of the exterior of the vessel, embellishing its walls with a register of palmettes below another of teardrops, all enveloped by thick bands of paint. Lovely, incised lines add detail to the elegant motifs, further complementing the vessel's graceful form. Size: 8.875" L x 7.5" H (22.5 cm x 19 cm)

Although the Messapian people were influenced by Greek colonists in other parts of southern Italy, they had a distinctive culture that included burial practices uniquely their own. Unlike the Greeks in Apulia, Messapians reused their tombs for several burials, probably from the same family. Whenever a tomb was reused, the earlier grave goods were removed, along with the body, and then reburied inside or outside the same tomb.

This piece has been tested using thermoluminescence (TL) analysis and has been found to be ancient and of the period stated. A full report will accompany purchase.

Provenance: ex-Stair Auction, November 3, 2018, lot 115; ex-William Kelly Simpson estate

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Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.

#165532
Condition Report: Small chip to rim. Minor losses and a few hairline fissures along the crest of the body. Scuffing and losses to the painted decoration and minor chips along the foot. Otherwise, excellent with nice remaining pigment. TL drill holes beneath base and on top rim near handle.