Loading, please wait...
LOT 0076
Large Greek Apulian Red-Figure Skyphos with Maenad
4TH CENTURY B.C.
13 3/8 in. (1.74 kg, 34 cm wide).
With stepped foot and two loop handles to the rim, egg-and-dart border; Side A: female in loosely draped chiton holding a dish in her raised left hand and advancing towards an altar, looking to her rear and with her right arm extended; Side B: nude male in similar pose to the female, with mantle draped over his left elbow, gripping a thyrsus, the head wrapped in a band or taenia; volute scroll beneath each handle.
ProvenanceAcquired in the mid 1980s-1990s.
Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent.
Private collection, since the late 1990s.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12364-226707.
Cf. Trendall, A.D., ‘Paestan Pottery: a Revision and a Supplement’, in Papers of the British School at Rome, 1952, no.20, pp.1-53, pl.V,b, for similar skyphos but with different iconography (Ashmolean Museum, Oxford).
FootnotesThe thyrsus in the hand of the male figure implies that he is a worshipper of Dionysus, and this impression is strengthened by the casual discarding of his clothing which is draped over his arm. The female may then be interpreted as a Maenad, a member of the group of devotees who accompanied the god and led the celebrations in his worship. A combination of protracted and vigorous dancing combined with wine-drinking led to an ecstatic frenzy in which the god was honoured.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
-
Cypriot Terracotta Miniature Jug Group
800-600 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £520
Comprising three vessels with bulbous bodies decorated with painted circumferential bands and concentric circles; single loop handle to the rear; tall neck with a central ridge and painted bands, wide trumpet mouth. 174 grams total, 83-87 mm
Acquired in 2000. Private collection, Europe. -
Greek Bronze Bow Brooch
7th-5th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £65
Comprising a deep bow with integral coil and pin, trapezoidal catchplate with folded lower edge, scooped upper edge and spur to forward end. 9.6 grams, 61 mm
Acquired on the London art market in the late 1980s-1990s. From the family collection of an East London, UK, gentleman. -
Greek Glass Comic Face Pendant
Phoenician, 6th-3rd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £208
D-shaped face with applied oblate beads to form the hair and beard, loop above. 4.32 grams, 31 mm
Private collection of a London gentleman, acquired between 1965–2020.