An elegant Apulian black ware olpe, covered with high-quality gloss inside and out. The vessel has a flared rim, with a single strap handle extending from the rim to the shoulders.
 
Ancient Greek colonies of southernItaly: Apulia: Circa 4th century BC.
 
Condition: Complete and intact; a few minor rubs to the glaze exposing the orange terracotta below.
Height 8.1 cms (3.2 ins).
 
Provenance: From a French private collection. Acquired in 1988 from Maitre G. Gamet, Aubagne.
 
Black ware pottery such as this was of higher quality and more expensive than day-to-day pottery and was especially used as fine tableware for entertaining, especially during the symposium - the social drinking parties of Greek men.
 
See our blog post on Ancient Greek pottery