Greek Painted Terracotta Rhyton Fragment

Of bulbous profile with loop handle and trumpet-shaped mouth, circumferential bands of red pigment. 213 grams, 13.5 cm



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.

The jug is a rare example of red-on-red ware (variant of the red-on-black painted ware) of Middle Bronze Age. In this ware there is a polished slip of red-brown on pink, on which matt-finish lines have been painted in red-brown or purple.

With a scalloped design on the body and twin symmetrical handles rising from the shoulder; restored. 790 grams, 18.5 cm wide



From the Rempte collection, Upstate New York, USA; acquired before 1980. Ex Artemis Gallery, Colorado, USA, 4 August 2016, lot 10. with a Chicago, USA, collection. Ex Harlan J. Berk Ltd, Chicago, USA. Acquired from Palmyra Heritage Gallery, New York, 27 April 2020, lot 2. Property of a South Australian private collector, with collection reference 20.22. Accompanied by detailed collector's catalogue pages including description and photograph.

The terracotta has a distinctive shape, characterised by vertical grooves and frequently incised double spirals. The style was indigenous to Italy. The handles were thin and flat, while their sharp curves imply that the vessel’s shape originated from metallic prototypes, like shown by silver examples with gold handles found in the Regolini-Galassi Tomb in Caere (modern Cerveteri).

Bearded male wearing a himation held with his left hand, right hand open flat to support a patera (absent). 4.65 grams, 24 mm



Acquired 1960s-1990s. From the late Alison Barker collection, a retired London barrister.