Huge Corinthian Black-Figure Lekanis Lid
6th century B.C. An extremely large Corinthian or Attic lid with concentric bands to the rim and handle; to the tondo, a frieze of painted figures comprising a swan, a regardant lion, two opposed sphinxes, another regardant lion, another swan, a bull, a lioness and part of another bull(?); restored. Cf. The Metropolitan Museum, accession numbers 06.1021.23a, b; 74.51.364; 06.1021.23a, b and 27.116, for similar animal figures painted on different vessel types and 1991.11.1, for a comparable lid of this date; cf. The British Museum, museum number 1886,0401.1180, for a very similar lion figure. 3.7 kg, 49.5 cm wide (19 1/2 in.).

Acquired early 1990s. Ex private American collection; thence by descent. Private Swiss collection since 1998. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11614-199000.

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