Apulian Black Glazed Guttus: River God

An ancient Apulian Greek black glazed guttus, a vessel for pouring oil into a lamp, with a loop handle and a spout in the form of a lion head. The central disk is molded with a bearded male face with flowing hair, likely representing a river god.

Apulia, Magna Graecia, South Eastern Italy.

Ca. 4th century BC.

Diameter: 3 3/4 in. (9.5 cm).

The output and quality of the Greek colonial potters working in Southern Italy increased greatly following the Peloponnesian War when Attic exports fell off sharply. South Italian Colonial Greek craftsmanship of the 4th century BC was an amalgamation of the Ionian (Athenian, Attic) conventions, and Doric (western colonial Greek) styles, with a noticeable native Italian aesthetic. The five predominant regional schools of South Italian pottery were: Apulian, Sicilian, Lucanian, Paestan, and Campanian.

cf.: M.O. Jentels, Les Gutti et les askoi a reliefs Etrusques et Apuliens (Leiden, 1976).

Formerly in the collection of Jerome Eisenberg, New York.

Inv#: 8369

Guaranteed Authentic

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