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HOME :
Classical Antiquities :
Apulian : Apulian Red-Figure Dish
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Apulian Red-Figure Dish - PF.2588
Origin: Magna Graecia
Circa: 400
BC
to 300
BC
Dimensions:
1.5" (3.8cm) high
x 6.125" (15.6cm) wide
Collection: Classical
Medium: Terracotta
£7,800.00
Location: UAE
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| Description |
Created in the eastern Greek colony of Magna
Graecia (the pre-Roman name for southern Italy)
known in antiquity as Apulia, this beautiful,
shallow, ring-base dish reveals the extraordinary
artistic sensibilities of the western Greeks, for it
reflects their successful assimilation of the
native Greek artistic styles with the local, non-
Greek artistic tastes and techniques. The portrait
of a woman as a form of ceramic decoration was
quite popular in this region of Italy during the
4th century B.C., and this painted dish is an
extraordinary example of such works. Here, we
see the stunning rendition of a woman’s head,
the high quality of drawing readily appreciated as
we observe the rendering of her subtle facial
features and adornments. In her hair, she wears
a saccos, the characteristic cloth head cover
worn during this era, and a stephane, or wreath.
A delicate earring adorns her ear while a dotted
necklace graces her neck. Modest painted
designs on the dish serve to gently balance the
composition, while a painted red band
handsomely frames the overall scene. Although
the ancient identity of this beautiful woman
remains a mystery, we can perhaps imagine her
as the goddess Aphrodite, waiting impatiently for
her secret lover, Ares. Or maybe it is
Persephone, about to bring her new lover Adonis
to her palace. While our imagination delights at
pondering the identity of the maiden, our
aesthetic sensibilities stand in awe of the
mastery evidenced in this magnificent work of
ancient ceramic art.
- (PF.2588)
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