A fine Ancient Greek Attic stemless pottery olpe enriched with black figure decoration from the class of Vatican G50, P. of the hand of the painter of Rhodes 12242. The vessel has a classic slender, piriform body that tapers gently into a neck before flaring out into a wide, circular mouth with a thick, ridged rim. A single strap handle is attached directly from the flaring rim to the shoulder of the vessel, with two small nodules flanking the top attachment point. The jug stands on a flared, concave circular foot ring outlined in a natural terracotta orange hue against the black slip glaze.
The neck of the jug is decorated with a complex array of geometric registers. Directly beneath the checkerboard-patterned rim is a delicate row of downward-pointing triangles, followed by a wide band of classic Greek key (meander) motifs. The main figurative scene is isolated inside a panel, framed on both sides by vertical borders displaying a repeating chain-like dot motif running between solid black lines. The black-figure illustration captures an intimate banqueting or symposium moment. A female figure stands cloaked in a flowing himation on the left side. She faces right and holds a long, thin musical pipe (aulos) up to her mouth. To the right, a second figure rests comfortably on a raised dining kline (couch), a young man leans back against a folded cushion with one arm resting on top of his head. Beneath the kline is a low, three-legged trapeza (wooden table), which would have been traditionally loaded with food and wine vessels during a Greek banquet. The background relies on the natural, rich orange of the fired clay, against which the figures and furnishings are painted in black slip with fine incised details to demarcate drapery folds, hair, and anatomical shapes.
The olpe is accompanied by a detailed report by an Italian Ministry of Culture officially certified first tier archaeologist specialising in Ancient Mediterranean ceramics and numismatics.
Ancient Greek, Attic: Circa 525-475 BC.
Fine condition, professionally and sympathetically restored from fragments.
Height 8.2 ins (20.9 cms).
Provenance: From a private London collection; earlier circulating on the Netherlands art market in the 1980s.