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LOT 0558
Apulian Terracotta Hare Oil Flask
7TH CENTURY B.C.
3 3/8 in. (82 grams, 86 mm).
Hollow-formed in the shape of a hare at rest with long ears parallel to the spine, vent to the chest; with spot markings to the flanks.
ProvenanceAcquired on the German art market, 1989-1995.
with The Museum Gallery, 19 Bury Place, London, WC1A 2JB, 1998-2003.
Property of a London based academic, 2003-present.
Cf. similar item in Harvard University Art Museums, accession no.2002.283, in Harvard University Art Museums, Annual Report 2002-2003, Cambridge, MA, 2004, p.12.
FootnotesMould-made aryballoi (perfume flasks) in the shapes of animals were popular in Greece in the 7th and 6th centuries B.C. Aristocratic men gave real hares as gifts to younger male lovers; this vessel might have performed a similar function.
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AUCTIONS:
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Villanovan Impasto Oinochoe with Graffiti
Circa 8th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £624
Three-lobed mouth with elongated beak, truncated-conical neck, shoulder with a convex profile, biconical body, low and flat foot, double rod handle set on the mouth and shoulder; small hole below equator. 592 grams, 21 cm high
Showplace Auction Centre, auction 308, lot 174. Property of a South Australian private collector, with collection reference 23.09. Accompanied by detailed collector's catalogue pages including description and photograph.
There is a similar vessel in Collection CA p18 n17 without decoration. The form is the same (height 25cm). Different varieties of it are known depending on the high or short neck, the flattened or globular or ovoid body, the flat or ring-shaped or splayed foot, the ribbon-like handle or the single or multiple rod. The known specimens come from different localities: Narce, Faleri, Bisenzio, Vetulonia, Tarquinia, Volsiniese countryside, upper Fiora valley. For parallel with ribs, see Antikenmuseum Basel + Sammlung Ludwig, p. 19, E 9, Schnabelkanne aus Impasto, first half seventh century, height 22.6cm. The shape of this handmade pot is particularly bold and simple. The few attached ribs, the bar handles brought together at the top, the high neck and the steep, cloverleaf-shaped mouth form ascending lines, but at the same time contribute to the balance of the shape due to their curve. These pots have primarily been found in Bisenzio, where they were probably made. -
Phoenician Terracotta Head Collection
4th-2nd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £143
Including one with tongue-shaped headdress and painted detailing, one with radiating hair and chignon to the rear, and other types; each mounted on a custom-made display stand. 308 grams total, 7.3-10.7 cm including stand
From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent. -
Indo-Greek Terracotta Forger's Mould Group
Circa 2nd-1st century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £260
Group of discoid clay moulds for casting contemporary counterfeit coins. 47 grams total, 20-29 mm
Private collection formed in the 1990s. Acquired from a central London gallery. Property of an Essex, UK, gentleman.
