Artifact – Antiquity – Attic Fragment, Red Figures - Nudes, Erotica, Curiosa - Archaeology

Period: Late 5th – 4th century BC Origin: Greece, probably Attic or Italiot production Provenance: Brunet Collection, previously acquired before 1973 Fragment of a red-figure ceramic kylix, reattached, depicting a scene between two figures. Despite its fragmentary state, the preservation of the figurative decoration allows for a clear reading and offers a rare testimony to classical Greek iconographic practices. Description: • Material: orange terracotta with a glossy black glaze. • Technique: red-figure decoration with painted highlights and incisions. • Iconography: • On the left, a beardless young man, dressed in a tightly pleated himation, holding a staff or scepter, a symbol of civic or ritual role. • On the right, a naked male figure, depicted standing, his arm folded across his torso, a dynamic posture typical of heroes or athletes. • The contrast between the clothed figure and the naked man reflects a scene of dialogue or confrontation, a recurring theme in Greek iconography. • Style: confident design, herringbone folds of the drapery, simplified proportions, characteristic of late Attic workshops and their Italiote imitations. Use: Red-figure kylixes were used at banquets (symposion) or sometimes in a funerary context. This fragment illustrates the narrative value of Greek ceramics, where heroes, young citizens or mythological figures express the codes of the city and of worship. Condition: fragmentary, reglued, stable surface with wear of the black glaze. The scene remains legible and iconographically significant. Reference: attributable to Attic or Italiote productions of the late 5th – 4th century BC, comparable to the fragments preserved in many Mediterranean collections. Dimensions: • Height: 8.5 cm • Width: 8 cm ALL DELIVERIES ARE MADE BY DHL EXPRESS ONLY.