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LOT 0070
Greek Black-Figure Alabastron with Fish Scale Pattern, Possibly Attributed to the Bulas Group
ATTIC, EARLY 4TH CENTURY B.C.
5 1/8 in. (87 grams, 13 cm).
Ovoid shape with short neck and expanded flat rim; painted with horizontal bands with vertical strokes on the shoulder, fish-scale pattern below and running scrolled tendrils; horizontal stripes below.
ProvenanceCollection of M. Bouvier, Switzerland (1901-1980), Switzerland. Bouvier was a law professor in Alexandria prior to 1930.
with Christie's, London, 7 October 2010, no.117.
Private collection, 2010.
Accompanied by an original thermoluminescence analysis report no.N125q42 by Oxford Authentication.
Accompanied by copies of the Christie's catalogue pages.
Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.13008-246447.
Cf. similar alabastron in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, accession no. 06.1021.89; Algrain, I., Brisart, T., Jubier-Galinier, C., Parfums de l’Antiquité, La rose et l’encens en Méditerranée, Manemont, 2008; Algrain, I., L’alabastre Attique, Origine, Forme et usages, Bruxelles, 2014, pp.145ff.; Algrain, I., ‘Assessing Forming Techniques of Athenian Ceramic Alabastra’ in EXARC Journal, 21/3, 2021, pp.1-10.
FootnotesThe alabastra of the Bulas Group display scale-like patterns. They were painted with slip, a liquid clay which vitrifies when fired. This group is usually dated to the late 5th – early 4th century B.C. It was named after Kazimierz Bulas, who was the first to study them in depth in the 1930s. He characterised various shapes according to their decorative techniques (nets and floral patterns) and their functions.
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LOT 0070
Greek Black-Figure Alabastron with Fish Scale Pattern, Possibly Attributed to the Bulas Group
Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,340
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Greek Delphiniform Greyware Oil Lamp
Hellenistic, late 2nd-1st century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £52
Slipper-shaped in plan and biconvex in section with radiating hatching to the shoulder, long nozzle with scooped end; impressed motif (maker's mark) to centre of the underside. 36 grams, 82 mm
From the Lloyd and Jeanne Raport collection, Washington, D.C. and Florida, USA, formed between 1972-2000. Acquired through Bonhams, London, UK. -
Greek Red-Figure Bell Krater Belonging to the Chevron Group
Apulian, 4th century B.C.Estimate: £2,500 - 3,500 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,389
With reserved herringbone band beneath the rim, wave pattern to be the baseline; Side A: young man with thyrsus and pendant streamer holding a phiale, a loose mantle draped from the elbows; Side B: head of a lady of fashion with white accents to her stephane and hair drawn up in a chignon, a volute and window before her. 1.11 kg, 23.2 cm wide
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Bell kraters were commonly used in regions of ancient Italy for mixing and serving wine during communal gatherings, thanks to their wide shape and flared mouth. These vessels also served as artistic expressions, reflecting the cultural tastes of the time. The Chevron Group is the conventional name for a group of ancient Apulian red-figure vase painters who were active in Southern Italy between approximately 335-310 B.C. They are named for their distinctive use of a band of chevron patterns to encircle the rims of the small kraters (mixing vessels) they decorated. -
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Greek Terracotta Standing Figure
Archaic, 7th-5th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £468
Modelled in the round figure standing with arms raised, head tilted upward with shoulder-length hair and horned cap, collar to the throat with large disc closure, pectoral pendant on a stylised braided thong; mounted on a custom-made stand; possibly Cypriot workmanship. 277 grams total, 17 cm high including stand
Ex Ernest Ohly collection. Acquired from Woolley & Wallis, Wiltshire, UK, 20 May 2010, no.1010 (part). From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent. From the private collection of John Meredith, acquired since the 1990s; thence by descent.
