A Gnathian pottery skyphos from the south Italian region of Apulia. The cup-shaped body vertically ribbed and standing on a stepped, redware foot. The flat face just above the has a band of simple geometric pattern painted with golden yellow-orange pigments suggesting vines.
 
Greek culture Apulian: Circa 3rd century BC.
 
Very Fine condition, complete and intact.
Height 11.8 cms (4.6 ins)
 
Provenance: From a UK collection of Professor M.C. acquired in the 1980's.
 
The vertical ribbing is typical for pottery commonly referred to as Gnathian, the term taken from what is present-day Egnazia, a region located on the Adriatic coast of Apulia. In the mid-nineteenth century excavations of the cemeteries of Egnazia (and nearby Fasano) uncovered large quantities of pottery with this type of decoration. Because of this, they became known as the pottery of Egnazia, or Gnathia pottery, even though little of it was in fact made at Egnazia.