Bidspirit auction | GNATHIAN EPICHISIS WITH VINE LEAVES

GNATHIAN EPICHISIS WITH VINE LEAVES MOTIF - Ca. 350 - 300 BC.An epichisis, originating from the southern Italian region of Apulia. The cylindrical body has domed shoulders leading to a thin neck with a narrow, steeply angled spout to provide control over the flow of liquid when poured. The thin handle rises above the spout in an elegant curve, before bending back down into a straight vertical to join the body. The elaborate geometric and floral decoration in red, white and yellow pigment stands out against the ground of buff light clay coated in shiny black gloss. The neck is adorned with vertical lines, splaying outwards along the curve as it joins the body, where they meet a ring of small dots. The main decoration of the body is a repeating pattern of grape bunches, leaves, and vine tendrils above and below a central red band. For similar see: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Accession Number: 69.11.69.Size: 200mm x 100mm; Weight: 340gProvenance: Private UK collection; previously acquired on the German art market in the 1990s. This piece is accompanied by a historical report from Alessandro Neri, an international Cultural Heritage expert based in Florence, Italy.