Campanian Black Glazed Astragalos Askos

An ancient Campanian Greek black glazed askos, in the form of an astragalos, a knuckle bone, with a double knotted handle.

Campania, Magna Graecia, Southern Italy.
Ca. 4th century BC.
Length: 3 1/2 in. (8.9 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.The Campanian region around the Bay of Naples, produced red-figure vases in the 5th and 4th centuries BC. The fine light brown clay of Campania produced a distinctive look. Campanian potters preferred mostly smaller vessel types, but did produce larger vessels like bell kraters and bail-amphora. Subjects include youths, women, birds and animals, and often native Samnite warriors. At 4,000 known vases, the Campanian style is the second most common in the region after Apulian.

Formerly in the collection of Jerome Eisenberg, New York, acquired in 1993.
Inv#: 8402
Guaranteed Authentic

$4,500

Related Items

Campanian Black Glazed Ribbed Kantharos

$3,500

Campanian Red-Figure Bail Amphora

$7,500

Campanian Pottery Flask

$1,250

View our finest curated Selected Works and our current Online Exhibition.