an attic 'plastic' lekythos

EARLY 4TH CENTURY B.C.

細節

an attic 'plastic' lekythos
Early 4th Century B.C.
The front with high relief polychrome plastic appliqué: a winged female figure in eastern dress dancing, her left leg raised, shown in frontal position with hands joined above her head, she turns her head and torso to her left, wears blue sleeved undergarment with leggings, over it a short belted chiton decorated in pink and green, also a necklet and diadem, her hair worn in two long ringlets falling over her shoulders in front, to her right is a large krater painted in yellow with traces of red ornament, between her legs a foliate ornament, an acanthus leaf to each side of the scene and seven rosettes framing the figure, on the white painted background is much added colour: blue for the base, pink for background, blue for wings and arms, green and pink on chiton, yellow and gold on hair, krater and rosettes, reverse in red-figure the decoration consisting of elaborate palmette underneath handle, with lateral rising tendrils with volute scrolls beneath a band of ovolo, circles in the field, (missing: handle, three rosettes and part of leaf, hairline crack across waist of female, otherwise intact)
15 1/8in. (13cm.) high

拍品專文

This fine and unusual 'plastic' vase represents an oklasma dancer. The dance had Persian origins, hence the oriental dress, and involved raising one's hands over one's head. For a full discussion see Trumpf-Lyritzaki, p.137 where two close parallels are published: no. 101 [Louvre Inv. no. MNB 808] is almost identical in every respect to this vase, and no. 102 [Hermitage Inv. no. A1869] is also exceedingly close. For Attic 'plastic' lekythoi in general see Higgins, BM Cat. ii,pls. 38-43 and particularly no. 1705, an oklasma dancer where Higgins also refers to the figure as an Amazon with wings. The BM example holds a tambourine above her head but the dancer here is more reminiscent of an Amazon being dragged by her hair.