Apulian Gnathia-ware Epichysis
Gnathian Epichysis for pouring perfumed oil and other expensive liquids. Named after the ancient city of Gnathia in Southern Italy (region of Apulia), Gnathian ware vessels were painted in a variety of colours and were characteristic of the late 4th century BCE pottery production in Southern Italy, although also extensively traded to the rest of the Mediterranean. The ovoid curved body leads to a tubular neck and a slender beaked spout joined to the shoulder by a high, arching handle. Two matching anthropomorphic heads adorn the end of the handle, where it is attached to the lower part of the spout.
The decoration, in white and red paint applied directly onto the black glazed vase body, shows an egg-and-dart pattern band at the top, dotted bands, two rows of bicolor grape bunches separated by a red band alternating with vine tendrils and leaves; a band of wave-pattern runs under the main decoration.
Stylistic remarks: Belongs to the Provincial, ‘Laurel Spray Group’. The egg-and-dart pattern and the ring foot is remarkably similar to object number 127.006.
Object number: 127.009.
Date: Late 4th century – early 3rd century BCE.
Parallels: very close parallel at Brooklyn, Brooklyn Museum 1994.209.6; New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art 67.11.20; London, British Museum 1814,0704.585, 1856,1226.151.
References: On the ‘Laurel Spray Group’ see: J. R. Green, 'Some Gnathia pottery in the J. Paul Getty Museum' in The J. Paul Getty Museum. Greek Vases 3 (Malibu, 1986) pp.130-132; J. R. Green, 'Gnathia and other Overpainted Wares of Italy and Sicily - A Survey' in P. Lévêque and J-P. Morel (eds.), Céramiques hellénistiques et romaines iii (Paris 2001) pp.61-62; R. Hurschmann, ‘Gnathiavasen’ in Der Neue Pauly 4, 1998, pp. 1106-1107.
Photo by Steve Morton