Antiquities

Fig 2. An exceptionally large Apulian Fig 1. A tall Apulian ‘bell’ krater red-figure lekanis (lidded cosmetics depicting a Komos scene, attributed bowl) featuring a seated lady holding to ‘The Painter of Athens’ Artist a mirror (circa 350-330BC) 30cm (circa 360-350BC) 27cm high. diameter between handles. Private collection. Private collection. Fig 3. Mixed group of six South Italian black gloss ware vessels, Apulian and Campanian (circa 4thC BC) Some repaired, height of tallest vessel 12.8cm. Bonhams Antiquities sale 29/04/2009. Approx Buyer’s Price £600. Lot 352.

New Series: Antiquities Greek Pottery from South Italy: an undervalued treasure source of ancient art by Alan Dawson Fig 4. Ten South Italian miniatures, mostly Xenon Ware (circa 350-300BC) Largest piece 7.2cm high. Bonhams Antiquities sale 28/10/2009. ABP £1,320. Lot 387. ou might understandably expect that the recent financial turmoil and the Yglobal economic recession, plus a general election would have a rather dampening effect on the seeming luxury of the ancient art market. Paradoxically, the opposite seems to be the case. Recent sales have seen a burgeoning interest in antiquities at all levels with exceptionally high prices being achieved for star items. Bonhams April antiquities sale saw an Attic stamnos of circa 510 BC (lot 184) achieve a staggering £210,000, inclusive of buyer’s premium, which is quite a price for a repaired nine and a half inch high pot! However, this was an exceptionally rare and important piece of Greek pottery and should not deter the average collector on a more modest budget from forming a collection. Certain lesser, yet still beautiful ancient Greek pottery is also readily Fig 5. Apulian red-figure ‘ladies of fashion’ available at a mere fraction of the price. The pottery products of Athens (Attic) always seem featured on a plate (17cm diameter) and also a to attract a premium at international auctions because of their rarity and the sheer quality of small pyxis (12cm high) both circa 350-310BC). their artistry but by comparison the pottery produced by Greek colonists in southern Italy are Private collection. still very affordable. In the sixth century BC Greek outposts situated along the coasts of southern Italy and Sicily imported their fine table and funerary ware from pottery centres at Corinth and later, Athens. By the beginning of the fifth century BC such foreign imports ceased altogether as Athens fell from dominance following the Peloponnesian War. By this time the Greek colonial population had already begun using red-figured pottery made locally by craftsmen who were skilled immigrants from Athens. Soon a number of regional schools of potting and vase painting were established - Apulian, Lucanian, Campanian, Paestan etc. with sub-schools such as Gnathian emerging as the industry prospered. A characteristic of South Italian pottery of the late fifth and fourth centuries BC is the tendency towards grandiose compositions, especially on large Apulian pieces, (Figs 1 & 2) with the extravagant use of added colour in Fig 6. Campanian ‘fish’ plate, showing sea perch, the form of red, white and yellow. Painted South Italian pottery tends to look far more garish bass and cuttle fish (circa 350-300BC) 17.5cm than its Attic prototypes, yet it is of its own time and brazenly reflects the taste and fashion of diameter. Bonhams Antiquities Sale 28/04/2010. both the region and era. ABP £1,920. Lot 157. ANTIQUES INFO - July/August 10 Antiquities Early South Italian products were closely applied colours painted directly on top of a modelled on Attic examples and even base coat of fired black slip. Sometimes lines employed the use of a red colour-wash to were also scored into the surface as part of make the clay look more ‘Athenian’ in the design. Motifs and patterns using the appearance. Design subjects favoured images of ivy leaves or vine tendrils are elaborate scenes from daily life, mythology, common and the series in general has a and the Greek theatre, conveniently leaving sensitive and delicate appeal. us tantalising visual evidence of strange Another type of Apulian pottery known as religious practices and daily rituals. As the Xenon Ware comprises a range of vessels and new regional pottery industries matured each plates made specifically for funerary use. developed its own distinctive style and range They are unusual insomuch as the design is of vessels. Many of the lightly decorated painted in pigment after the background Fig 7. Three interesting Gnathian Ware vessels; a pottery forms were purely utilitarian whereas black surface has been fired, not dissimilar to kylix (19cm diameter) plus a krateriskos and others were obviously made for show. Most Gnathian ware. These designs tend to make skyphos. Bonhams Antiquities Sale 28/04/2010. ABP £1,680. Lot 104. South Italian regions also produced a number use of olive sprigs, wave patterns and zigzags of plain black gloss wares, purely functional and stars, although one sub-group employs yet still carefully considered for proportion silhouettes of animals and birds, especially and eye-appeal, (Fig 3) resulting in a diverse on the tondo of kylices, the classical twin- and very collectable range of shapes and handled shallow wine cups (Fig 8). This styles. group is probably the commonest of all South It must be mentioned that most intact Italian painted pottery and it was responsible examples of South Italian pottery have for a vast range of both full size vessels and survived the ravages of time by virtue of their miniatures. intended function - as funerary vessels, The painted pottery types mentioned so far votive offerings or tomb decoration, thereby have shared a common characteristic being afforded shelter over the millennia. By insomuch as they are all what is termed ‘red- tradition every family, rich or poor, needed to figure’ meaning the design is painted in red Fig 8. A large and fine Xenon ware kylix with equip the deceased with all the necessary (and sometimes other colours) on a black olive-sprig and star decoration (circa 325-300 accoutrements for the afterlife and this background. However, one small group of BC)24cm dia. between handles. Private collection included a good supply of pottery. Quality South Italian pottery is unique by having a funerary pottery was expensive to buy and white base over-painted with pastel shades of well beyond the means of most families, as grey, orange and pink. It is called Canosan potters were quick to exploit this lucrative Ware (Fig 9). Unlike Gnathian and Xenon market. So, being enterprising, the pottery wares where the design adheres to the pot by industry began offering cheaply made and being baked on, albeit at a lower temperature, rather crudely decorated pieces specifically with Canosan Ware the pigment is simply aimed at the cheaper funeral sector. Even this painted on the surface. Such an unstable and concession apparently proved too much for ephemeral technique could only be employed some families so in response the potters on funerary vessels which were unlikely to began making miniature vessels. (Fig 4) receive any use. Having said this, most After all, even if they were tiny and not really examples do appear rather worn or abraded functional, the dead could hardly complain. yet the forms are extremely elegant and they One of the distinctive features of South do have a certain ethereal appeal. Italian vessels, particularly from the Apulian By necessity this has been a very brief region, is the use of a profile female head introduction to Greek South Italian pottery. resplendent in carefully coiffured hairstyle There are many different forms and almost as enhanced with hair decoration, earrings and a many potters’ groups which between them necklace. The image can be found on nearly produced a vast array of styles. Some pieces every pottery shape; from large ‘bell’ kraters, are large and dramatic with beautifully lekanides (make-up boxes), pyxides (trinket painted scenes whereas others are amusing by Fig 9. A good example of an elegant white boxes) jugs, cups, and plates. These the amateurish naivety of their imagery (Fig Canosan Ware oinochoe (wine jug) of circa early sometimes bizarre illustrations are farcically 10). Small plain black gloss ware such as salt 3rd-2nd century BC. 26cm high. Private collection. termed as ‘ladies of fashion’ - although most bowls can be bought for as little as £60-£70 examples are hardly what we would consider and painted miniatures from £120-£150. today to be an aspiring female image (Fig 5). Examples of figurative pieces such as an Nevertheless, this seems to have been the ‘owl’ skyphos or a small ‘ladies of fashion’ design of choice for many people of the lekanis can still be purchased for under £500, fourth century BC. Of course other images so there’s bound to be something to suit were used and one of the most appealing every pocket within the series. It’s a lot designs has to be the series of ‘fish’ plates cheaper than Attic Ware, Corinthian and East produced in Campania (Fig 6). Another very Greek pottery, but beware prices are rising collectable series is the curious pottery group fast. With international auctions and known as Gnathian Ware, (Fig 7) so called increasing internet technology it won’t take after the site of Gnathia, present-day Egnazia long for the investment world to wake up to near the Adriatic coast of Apulia, although this greatly undervalued sector of the ancient Fig 10. Charming if rather comical rendering of the type was produced at a number of other art market. the Athenian owl on an Apulian red-figure skyphos (circa 350BC) is typical of the period. 6.2cm high. centres. The technique used consisted of Private collection.

ANTIQUES INFO - July/August 10