Bidspirit auction | APULIAN BELL KRATER DEPICTING MAENADS

APULIAN BELL KRATER DEPICTING MAENADS FROM THE CIRCLE OF BALTIMORE PAINTER - Ca. 350 BC. A bell krater, painted in the red-figure style, with white/yellow details on one side. The iconography of the piece reflects important stories and symbolism in the life of the Greek colonies. On Side A is a draped seated maenad holding a large patera in her right. She is facing back to a second maenad, who also holds a pyxis in her right hand; both are wearing a long kiton and short sakkos on the hair; the facial features are marked. Side B features three draped male figures standing in profile. In addition to this iconography, the vessel is adorned by an extensive decorative program: a laurel leaf wreath beneath the rim, an intricate pattern of stylised palmettes below the handles with fretted bands surrounding each handle's termini, and a lower register underscoring the figural scene comprised of waves. For similar see: The British Museum, Museum number 1978,0414.33, Trendal A.D., Red Figure Vase of Apulia, 1978, Plate 57, n. 1. Size: 375mm x 310mm; Weight: 3.2kg. Provenance: Property of a central London gallery, previously acquired on the Dutch art market; previously acquired on the Belgian art market; Hugo Lievens, Brussels 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.