Southern Italian, ca. 400 BC.
A beautiful terracotta oinochoe with flaring trefoil rim, elongated neck, sloping shoulder, egg-shaped body, cylindrical stem and ring foot; an applied, ear-shaped handle joins the rim, rising up before descending to re-join the vessel at the shoulder. The neck and handle are painted black with white-coloured ribbing on the neck. One side of the body presents vegetal motifs while the other shows a female figure in profile with carefully detailed eyes, small, pursed mouth and prominent nose; her elaborate coiffure is bejewelled, and she wears pendular earrings. A wave frieze runs below these scenes. This vessel would have been used for serving wine both in domestic contexts and during religious rituals.
Size: L:230mm / W:95mm ; 295g
Provenance: Property of a central London Gallery; formerly in a South English estate collection; acquired in the 1990s from Andre de Munter, Brussels, Belgium; previously in and old European collection.