Magna Graecia, Southern Italy, Apulia, Canosa, ca. 3rd century BCE. A breathtaking figural pottery vessel in the form of an elegant female head - her slender, oval face with a dimpled chin, full heart-shaped lips, a thin aquiline nose, and lidded almond-shaped eyes with lashes and pupils delineated in black, a centrally-parted wavy coiffure topped by a radiate diadem, her sakkos decorated with painted crosshatched netting. This visage is surmounted by a female figure standing in contrapposto and donning a tightly-wrapped himation over a long chiton with drapery folds accentuating her curvaceous body, a diadem in her hair, and a blooming flower blossom with sizeable petals splayed atop her head. A high arching, ribbed handle joins her shoulders/head to the back of the head below. Liberal pink and white pigments remain on the surface. Size: 19.75" H (50.2 cm)

Canosa (Apulian: Canaus) was a major center of the ceramics and pottery trade when it was a Greek polis. It's artisans produced truly unique pottery, completely different in decoration style (although not in shape) from earlier and neighboring traditions. The clay is buff, with the decoration applied directly to it without the use of slip; the pink here is one of the unique colors found on these vessels, and there are liberal amounts of it as well as the white pigment remaining on this vase. The open bottom of the vase signifies that this was made solely for funerary purposes. In ancient Greek practice, a bottomless vase like this was placed over a grave and offerings like wine were poured straight through it. Others, like this one, were never used but were instead buried in the tomb beside the deceased to evoke this custom. A spectacular example of ancient funerary art.

Provenance: private Florida collection acquired at Christies, New York, New York, June 2011 (Sale 2450, Lot 117); ex private Japanese collection, 1980

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#132052

One repair (possibly a patched probe hole) to the back of the head beneath the handle. Expected surface wear with some losses to pigments, but much pink and white pigment remains. One area of repainting to section of himation covering right shoulder of standing figure. Otherwise very good. Scattered mineral deposits.