A black glaze sessile kantharos with twin lateral handles of Xenon type. Both sides are decorated with vertical bands of alternating black and reserved chevrons, bordered by radiating strokes above and laurel leaves below.
 
Ancient Greek colonies of Southern Italy: Circa 5th century BC.
 
Condition: 2 -3 fragments reattached, otherwise intact; decoration a little faded in places.
Height 11.7 cms (4.6 ins)
 
Provenance: Ex Rhenus Auktionen, previously acquired on the Dutch art market; before that, acquired from Hugo Lievens, Brussels 1982.
 
For similar see: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Object Number: 56.171.60.
 
The sessile kantharos type is a drinking vessel with two low vertical handles, rather than the high looped handles of the long stemmed kantharoi traditionally used by Dionysos. They are usually decorated with intricate foliate and geometric designs. Xenon ware is a type of Apulian pottery not dissimilar to Gnathian ware. It has matte red and cream decoration over black glaze (six's technique) in floral and geometric designs. It was specifically made for funerary purposes. 
 
See our blog post on Ancient Greek pottery