LARGE APULIAN BELL KRATER DEPICTING AN OFFERING SCENE

Ca. 400 - 300 BC A black-glazed pottery bell krater featuring red-figure decorations. Side “A” portrays a maenad standing to the left, draped and with her hair elegantly arranged. A thyrsus is placed in her right hand while she extends her outstretched left hand to a decorated patera. Near an ornate altar stands Victory with elegant wings, offering a wreath with her right hand. Side “B” depicts two ephebi in a confrontational stance. Both are wearing a himation that falls over their left shoulder. The ephebi on the left is holding a staff as a prop, while the ephebi on the right is holding a long sickle in his left hand. Above the intricate designs on both sides, there is a laurel wreath motif, while below a meander and a cross accentuate the lower border. Large palmettes are positioned beneath the handles. For similar, see: The British Museum, Museum number 1978,0414.33.
Size: 350mm x 345mm; Weight: 2.87kg
Provenance: Private London collection, acquired on the Dutch art market; previously acquired on the German art market; E. Hoppe, Frankfurt, 1982. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter.
This piece is accompanied by a historical report from Alessandro Neri, an international Cultural Heritage expert based in Florence, Italy.
Estimate: GBP 3000 - 6000