**Originally Listed At $250**

Magna Graecia, Southern Italy, Eastern Apulia/Gnathia, ca. 370 to 325 BCE. A wheel-thrown thistle mug with a petite tiered foot, a bulbous body that tapers to a wide neck, a flared rim, and an applied bifurcated ring handle. The body is detailed with dozens of thin, pattern-molded ribs, red pigment along the foot and shoulder, and a yellow vine with densely-congregated berries wrapping from one side of the handle to the other. Scattered areas of faint silvery iridescence complement the black-glazed surfaces, making this a wonderful and attractive example of Gnathian craftsmanship! Size: 2.9" W x 4.75" H (7.4 cm x 12.1 cm).

Gnathia ware is named for the site where it was first discovered - the Apulian site of Egnathia. The black glaze ware is traditionally decorated with floral motifs in red, white, or yellow hues. Scholars believe that its production most likely was centered around Taras, with primary workshops in Egnathia and Canosa. The quantity and quality of Greek colonial Apulian potters increased significantly following the Peloponnesian War when Attic exports dramatically decreased. Apulian artistry demonstrates influences of Ionian (Athenian, Attic) conventions, as well as Doric (western colonial Greek) styles, with a palpable native Italian aesthetic.

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection

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#135528

Handle reattached with small chips and light adhesive residue along break lines. Surface wear and minor abrasions commensurate with age, small nicks and chips to rim, body, and foot, with fading to areas of glaze and pigmentation. Light earthen deposits throughout. Scattered areas of silvery iridescence. Old inventory sticker on bottom of foot.