Cypriot Bichrome Ware Pottery Feeder Flask

Globular in form with pinched trefoil mouth and tall strap handle; painted band of linear ornament to the shoulder and neck. 695 grams, 21.2 cm high



Property of a deceased estate. Acquired from Bonhams, London, 26 October 2007, no.375 (part). From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent. Accompanied by copies of the relevant Bonhams catalogue pages and original lot tag.

With globular lower body supporting a broad and slightly waisted tubular neck with everted rim, D-shaped spur to the forward face, strap handle to the rear with flat-section thumb-pad, trumpet-shaped foot; the thumb-pad and rim with painted bands of pointillé decoration, rim with muti-linear radiating bands, vertical bands to the neck formed with hatched lozenges, hatched horizontal and vertical bands to the lower body and wavy linear bands beneath the foot; old collector's reference '15.76' to underside; 535 grams, 19.5 cm



Formerly part of the Cesnola collection. this item has a red-ink inscription to the base suggesting it may have been deaccessioned from The Metropolitan Museum of Art. with Sotheby Parke Bernet, New York, 26 May 1982, no.411. with Christie's, New York, 11 June 2003, no.95 (part). From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent. Accompanied by a copy of the relevant Christie's catalogue pages.

Bearing the weight of her body on her left leg, wearing a himation draped over her left and right arms, the right arm bent to grasp a part of the himation that falls behind her, leaving her shoulders uncovered and revealing her naked body; the head turned slightly to the left; the hair arranged in the typical flattering melon coiffure, parted into six large sections and gathered into a low bun; oval face with a small, fleshy mouth and a fine nose; wearing large circular earrings; her right hand resting on top of a small pillar, covered by the cloak; the lower part of the himation embroidered with volutes; the back flat with a square hole for attachment; red-brown pigment on the hair, white coating, traces of pink on the himation and red on the edges of the feet. 493 grams, 22.5 cm high



Collected in the 1950s-1990s. Ex R. Liechti collection (1934-2010), acquired in Geneva. Accompanied by an academic report by Raffaele D'Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11999-211931.

In particular in South Italy, two types of female statuettes leaning on small pillars were widespread, derived from Tanagra prototypes: the first type dressed in a high-belted chiton with crowned head, the second consisting of partially draped or nude female figures identified as Aphrodite, like our specimen. The Tanagra production ended in about 200 B.C., but the models created by the Boeotian workshops would continue to be produced until the end of the 1st century B.C. The statuette shows extensive traces of the original polychromy, characterised by strongly contrasting hues in keeping with the local style. The Tanagrine elements are mainly identifiable in the ‘melon coiffure’, the intense red colour of the hair and the pose characterised by the turned hip.