Indo-Greek Terracotta Forger's Mould Group

With a high foot, laurel wreath encircling the neck, checkerboard and meander patterns alternating around the lower body, roundels of tongue motif to the handles with palmettes and tendrils below; two red-figure scenes to the body: Side a: a high-quality depiction of a kōmos composed of five figures, including a young man holding a torch, a double flute player next to three dancers, all possibly followers of Dionysus; Side b: three draped figures conversing comprising a central female figure between two opposed male figures, one holding a staff; two old labels: one with 3061-133 on the inner rim, and 113/2 (believed to be an old Christie's lot label from the 1960s by Richard Falkiner) on the sidewall, further old accession numbers 321 and 35 under the base. 3.8 kg, 37 cm wide



Thomas Hope (1769-1831), London and the Deepdene, Surrey, Thence by descent to Lord Henry Francis Hope Pelham-Clinton-Hope (1866-1941), the Deepdene. The Celebrated Collection of Greek, Roman and Egyptian Sculpture and Ancient Vases being a portion of The Hope Heirlooms; Christie's, London, 23-24 July 1917, no.113. Private collection, acquired in Paris, 2004. Accompanied by a copy of a thermoluminescence analysis report no.N111j79 from Oxford Authentication. 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.11786-206517.

The Kadmos Painter was an Athenian red-figure vase painter, whose real name is unknown. His nickname was bestowed by Beazley, naming him after the subject of a famous hydria in Berlin (Antikensammlungen Berlin/Altes Museum, found in Vulci). He illustrated many mythological scenes, sometimes with figures arranged up and down the field, usually on bell craters, vessels used in symposia for mixing wine and water. A komos was a ritualistic drunken procession performed by revellers in ancient Greece. It preceded and/or followed the banquet, whether unbridled in nature with music and games, or serious and philosophical.

The body formed as a female bust with elaborately styled hair; discoid foot, tall stem with pinched rim giving a broad pouring lip, strap handle to the rear; some pigment remaining. 446 grams, 22.2 cm high



Old French private collection. Swiss private collection, Basel-Landschaft. Private collection of M. Tritten, Binningen, Switzerland. Property of an East Sussex, UK, gentleman.

The Canosan ceramic workshops produced several series of head vases, starting with a red-figure imitation of the Attic plastic oenochoe attributed by Beazley to Group N.21. The next product combined two ceramic techniques: a) the neck, mouth, and handle were executed in red-figure technique with superimposed white rays on the neck; b) the head was drawn from two moulds, mounted on a base rim, and decorated with white slip and polychrome after firing. It belongs to the initial phase of the polychrome ceramic production of Canosa, for which only this type of mould is known. It also illustrates the close collaboration which existed between potters and coroplasts. The same archetype was used in the next phase, producing entirely polychrome head vases, like this one, in which traces of polychrome are still visible on the mouth and near the left ear.

With applied handle and integral foot, medial frieze of running animals and horizontal lines; band of pellets to the mouth. 40 grams, 71 mm high



From an early French collection, pre 1960.