Villanovan Terracotta Artefact Collection

Cylindrical with stepped foot, five palmettes above the shoulder, dynamic frieze of two men visiting two hetairai, each of the figures dressed in long pleated garments, at the centre of the scene, a hetaira on the right reaching towards the bearded male and gently touching his chin with her open hand, a tall draped table behind her with an amphora underneath and a standing bird on the top. 459 grams, 26.4 cm



H.A.C. (Herbert A. Cahn), 19 October 1979. Private collection, Bern, Switzerland. Accompanied by an original thermoluminescence analysis report no.N125q45 by Oxford Authentication. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12644-236376.

The Athena Painter is known as the painter who designed several Greek black-figure pottery works using the 5th-century BC white-ground technique. He specialised in lekythoi and refers to Athena as the main subject in his works. Together with the Theseus Painter, they continued the tradition of painting large lekythoi. His black figures are of high quality, and in addition to lekythoi, he decorated other potteries such as oenochoai. Some archaeologists say that he may have been the same person as the Bowdoin Painter of red-figure pottery, although they may have just worked in the same workshop.

Modelled in the round in the form of a ram lying with its legs folded beneath the body, head turned with hooked horns, collar to the neck with a large pellet pendant; ribbed suspension loop behind the shoulders, mounting lug beneath the trunk. 12.87 grams, 30 mm



Private collection, acquired on the European art market in 2002. Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate, 8 June 2004. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13204-249215.

The ram, a male symbol, was associated with various divinities. Turned into a ram as a child by Zeus, and a common sacrifice to the god, the ram was a symbol of Dionysus, which he shared with Aphrodite. Ram heads and pendants frequently occur in jewellery. In the animal kingdom, Eros favours the cockerel and the ram, both of which are indicative of sexual potency.

Comprising: a squat oil lamp with wreath surrounding the large filler hole, radiating sun motif on the base; the two larger terracotta lamps with open reservoirs with a central cone open beneath, short nozzle. 473 grams total, 9.2-17.8 cm



Ex R.C. collection. Acquired by Galerie Rhéa, Zurich, from the above in 2010.