Details
AN APULIAN RED-FIGURED AMPHORA
ATTRIBUTED TO THE VARRESE PAINTER, CIRCA 360-350 B.C.
The obverse decorated in two registers, the upper with a nude youth offering a marionette to a female seated on a folding stool, holding a xylophone on her lap, a youth bending towards a seated female holding a casket, and a youth seated between two draped female figures, one offering him a libation with an oinochoe and a phiale, a ball and box to the right; the lower register with a maenad offering a wreath and grapes to a youth, perhaps Dionysos, seated on his cloak, and a maenad holding a phiale and tambourine, seated between two youths, one holding a phiale mesomphalos, the other a thyrsos; the registers separated by a band of scrolling fruiting vine, centred by a profile female head, rosettes, garlands, vines and a kantharos in the field; the shoulders with a seated female figure holding a phiale amidst scrolling flowers and tendrils, band of rosettes above, framed by bands of ovolo; the reverse decorated with a garlanded stele surmounted by a large kylix, flanked by four youths and female figures holding offerings, rosettes, garlands and laurel in the field; the shoulders with a female head emerging from scrolling tendrils on the shoulder, framed by bands of ovolo encircling beneath the scenes; a band of meander and chequered square groundline, tongues above the foot, palmettes on the neck and under the handles, a band of white vine leaves on the flared rim, details in added white, yellow and umber
36½ in. (92.7 cm) high
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