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GREEK APULIAN PLATE WITH LADY OF FASHION

5th-4th century BC

An Apulian red-figure phiale, with ochre and white, decorated on the chipped edge by a series of parallel vertical dashes in black paint, to the centre a lady of fashion in profile looking to the left, the hair dressed in a patterned sakkos tied with ribbons, wearing a radiate stephane, beaded necklace and drop pearl earrings; on the sides of the neck, scrolls and stylised foliate elements, followed by two parallel circles interspersed with a wave decoration. 197 grams, 17.7cm (7"). Fine condition, chip to edge. £300 - 400 EUR 350 - 470 USD 420 - 550

Provenance From an important English collection; believed to be from a 18th century collection.

Literature Cf. Trendall A.D. & Cambitoglou, A., The Red-figured Vases of Apulia, vol. II, Oxford, 1982, pl.388.

Footnotes Although it is most probable that Taranto was the main centre of production for Apulian red-figure, the recent extensive finds at Canosa, Melfi and other sites support the view that a careful analysis of variations in style on the basis of provenance should make possible a more precise location of other Apulian centres of manufacture. 38

GNATHIAN DECORATED SKYPHOS

4th century BC

A blackware skyphos with carinated body and two handles with tapering arms leaving the body, bridged by an integral loop, high ogival foot, and vine leaves in cream and ochre slip to the shoulder. 128 grams, 15.5cm (6"). Fine condition. £400 - 600 EUR 470 - 700 USD 550 - 830

Provenance Property of a Surrey, UK, gentleman; formerly with Andre de Munter Gallery, Brussels, Belgium; previously in a collection formed 1970-1980; accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Andre de Munter.

Literature See The Metropolitan Museum, accession numbers 19.192.47 and 1980.11.17, for similar.

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GREEK APULIAN VESSEL COLLECTION

4th-3rd century BC

A mixed group of miniature blackware ceramic vessels of Magna Graecian (Apulian) workmanship, comprising: a kantharos with carinated body, everted rim, two strap handles and red geometric boarder to the shoulder; three oenochoe juglets with trefoil mouths, strap handles and discoid feet, one with a swan motif, one with a warrior running left holding a weapon, and one with a band of scrolled tendrils; a bell krater with two handles and a palmette to each face. 200 grams total, 57-76mm (2¼ - 3"). Fine condition. [5] £400 - 600 EUR 470 - 700 USD 550 - 830

Provenance Property of a Surrey, UK, gentleman; formerly with Andre de Munter Gallery, Brussels, Belgium; previously in a collection formed 1970-1980; accompanied by three illustrated certificates of authenticity from Andre de Munter.

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PARTHIAN AMPHORA-SHAPED FIGURAL RHYTON

2nd century AD

A turquoise-glazed rhyton formed as a conical amphora with a cylindrical neck flanked by twisted zoocephalic handles; the curved based formed as a head of an ibex with pierced muzzle; above a facing female head with curled swelling hair, wearing a crown and a collar; a moulded medallion above the head representing a character reclining on a bed and resting against a cushion, wearing a sleeved tunic and trousers; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 2.1 kg total, 37cm high including stand (14½"). Fine condition. £8,000 - 10,000 EUR 9,250 - 11,570 USD 10,920 - 13,826

Provenance Previously with Arts d'Orient, Boisgirard, Paris, France, 27 May 2011, lot 7; formerly part of a private collection, Israel, since 1982; accompanied by a copy of the relevant Arts d'Orient catalogue pages and by an academic expertise by Dr. Raffaele D’Amato; this lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by AIAD certificate number no.10805-178701.

Literature See Pope, A.U., A survey of Persian Art, New York, 1938, vol. IV, Pl.185 A-D; Ghirsman, R., Partes et Sassanides, Paris, 1962, no.132 (A), Rhython in the British Museum; Harper, P.O., The Royal Hunter, Art of the Sassanian Empire, New York, 1978, pp.162-164; Pfrommer, M., Metalwork from the Hellenized East, Catalogue of the Collections, the J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu, 1993; Various, Splendeur des Sassanides, Catalogue d’exposition, Bruxelles, 1993, no.104; Curtis, J., Mesopotamia and Iran in the Parthian and Sasanian Periods, Rejection and Revival c.238 BC – AD 642, London, 2000; Carter, M.L., Goldstein, S., Harper, P.O., Kawami, T.S., Meyers, P., Splendors of the Ancient East, Antiquities from the al-Sabah collection, London, 2013; Ebbinghaus, S., Feasting with gods, heroes, and kings, Cambridge, 2019.

Footnotes The vessel belongs to the category of rhyta, horn-shaped vessels used for drinking wine. The word rhyta comes from the Greek word ‘to flow’, and vessels of this type were well-known in ancient Western Asia. The Parthians mainly used rhyta with the foreparts shaped like jumping lynxes (Pfrommer, 1993, pp.47-49, 186-187, no.171), caracal cats (Carter, Goldstein, Harper, Kawami, Meyers, 2013, no.69) or lions (Pfrommer, 1993, pp.47-48,178-179, n. 66, pl.4), but also vessels with the protomes of stags, bulls and horses, although these are rarer. The rhyta were used in a wide range of cults and ceremonies, including rituals of investiture or the transfer of the royal power. Although filled with Iranian motifs, the artwork of our rhyton is characteristic of the continuance of the Hellenistic tradition in the arts of Parthian Iran.