The Apulianizing period

Towards the end of the 4th century, a group of vases was created at Paestum which have been described as being of a “strongly Apulianizing style”.8 It is unlikely that they were imports, as the high mica content of the clay suggests that it was sourced locally, and the quantity is considered unusually large for imported ware. The commonly accepted explanation is that there was a group of painters from Apulia who worked at Paestum, and who seem to have kept their artistic tradition separate; although these vessels occasionally use Paestan shapes and decorative patterns, the Apulian style is not totally assimilated but remains distinct.

Height 42.4 cm

Height 16 3/4 in

The importance of the krater

This red-figure bell krater is a beautiful example of Paestan ware. A krater is a common type of Greek vase, traditionally used for mixing wine with water to dilute it, because drinking unmixed wine was seen as uncivilised. They would often have been used at symposia, a type of gathering in ancient Greece where men from higher-status families would gather to drink, listen to music, and have conversations. Kraters are normally large, with a handle on either side near the top of the vase. At a symposium, the krater would be placed in the centre of the room, and the wine would be served from it using smaller vessels such as kyathoi, amphorae, and kylikes. At each event, a symposiarch would be elected. His role was to direct the wine servants, and therefore to control the strength of the wine being served and the rate at which it was being consumed. Because of the focus on drinking at symposia (the word literally means ‘drink together’), the krater would have been an important vessel in the home of anyone who was accustomed to hosting such events. There are several different varieties of krater, named after details of their shapes. The column krater is described thus because of the shape of its handles, as is the volute krater. The lower part of the calyx krater is shaped like a botanical calyx: the sepals of a flower which protect the petals when it is in bud. This example is a bell krater, as the shape when inverted resembles a bell.

On this krater, the main images are bordered by a laurel wreath underneath the rim at the top, and a meander and crossed box pattern at the bottom. The large palmette motifs under the handles have side-scrolls attached on either side; each one of the four of these is slightly different from the others. However, they all broadly conform to Trendall’s type IIIA,9 which he assigns to the early Paestan period, because of the single palmette leaf underneath the uppermost scroll, and the fact that they are attached to the palmettes at the base (although they do not have the descending hook-shaped leaf also common in this type).

On the obverse, there is a scene depicting two soldiers who appear to be engaged in conversation with a third man. The soldiers are wearing short tunics with decoration around the necklines and belts at their waists. They are each holding a spear and a large round shield and wearing a helmet. Some of the details of the helmets have been lost and therefore their precise shape is difficult to make out, but there are traces of paint which suggest that both helmets would have had two plumes. This distinctive helmet shape is characteristic of Samnite warriors.10 These figures often appear on Paestan vases after the Lucanian conquest of Paestum at the end of the 5th century.11 The soldiers are both standing in relaxed positions, especially the one on the left who is leaning casually on his shield. They are facing towards the figure at the far left of the scene, who is dressed in civilian clothes and is wearing a headdress. He is gesturing towards the soldiers, and looks as though he is telling them something.

On the reverse there is a scene of three youths in conversation. This is a typical motif used on the reverse of Paestan vases, although usually there are only two men depicted. The composition is similar to the obverse in that the central and right-hand figures are turned towards the left-hand figure, who is gesturing with his right hand and looks as though he is speaking to them. The drapery style of the two men on the right is what Trendall identifies as a ‘sleeve’ drape (see Figure 2), often used for figures facing left, where the himation over the left arm forms a fold with the appearance of a sleeve. The man on the left is wearing his cloak in a ‘sling’ drape (see Figure 1), preferred for figures facing right, where the folds of the himation underneath the elbow of the bent right arm form a sling shape.12 Above these figures are a ring-shaped object, possibly a wreath, and a rectangular shape with three vertical lines. Although the drapery on this vase does not have patterned borders, the lines indicating the folds of the garments are very delicately and beautifully rendered.

Bibliography www.barakatgallery.eu

• Greco, Emanuale. ‘Ricerche sulla chora poseidoniate.’ Dialoghi di Archeologia n.s. ½ (1979): pg.7-26.

• Saulnier, Christine. L’armée et la guerre chez les peoples samnites. Paris: De Boccard, 1983.

• Schneider-Hermann, G. ‘Eine Pästaner Weihgabe’. BABesch 51 (1976): pg.65-74.

• Simon, Erika. “The Paestan painter Asteas.” In Greek Vases. Images, Contexts and Controversies. Proceedings of the conference sponsored by the Center for the Ancient Mediterranean at Columbia University, 23-24 March 2002, edited by Clemente Marconi, pg.113-122. Leiden: Brill, 2004.

• Trendall, A.D. The Red-Figured Vases of Paestum. British School at Rome, 1987.

• Trendall, A.D. Red Figure Vases of South Italy and Sicily. London: Thames and Hudson, 1989.

For Enquiries: info@barakatgallery.eu Instagram @barakat_london

Facebook @barakatcollection

Pinterest Barakat Gallery

Twitter @Barakat_London