Greek Geometric Votive Gift in the Form of a Bird

Section from a groomed beard showing neatly arranged curls with incised striations. 20.77 grams, 46 mm



London, UK, art market, 1980s. Private collection, London, UK.

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. 87 grams, 13 cm

partially repainted

Collection 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.

The 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.

The body formed as a male head with his elongated neck forming the foot of the vessel; wearing an ivy-leaf crown, stylised, painted facial features and a full beard, two rows of stylised curls above the forehead; the neck of the vessel emerging from the top of his head, trefoil mouth and a handle to the rear; some repainting. 77 grams, 11.8 cm



Swiss private collection formed in 1960s-1970s. 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 search certificate number no.13016-246780.

Head vases first appeared in the late 7th century B.C. in eastern Greece. The potters of Attica adopted this shape in the late 6th century, with a clear preference towards female heads, but not excluding male heads, especially when referring to mythological heroes or characters. The work, with its finely modelled features, is the product of an Attic workshop. According to the Beazley classification, the oinochoe should belong to the group N (Cook Class), generally dated to the 480-460 B.C. and widespread around the Mediterranean and Black Sea (a similar female example was found in Aphytis – Chalcidika).