Attic Skyphos With Black Glaze, Ancient Greek Vase, 5th Century Bc

Attic black-glazed skyphos

Athens, last quarter of the 5th century B.C. (c. 425–400 B.C.)
Width including handles: 16 cm
Diameter: 10.5 cm
Height: 8.5 cm

A rare and finely crafted example of a Greek black-glazed terracotta skyphos, produced in Athenian workshops during the Classical period.

This Corinthian-style drinking cup features a deep bowl resting on a ring-shaped foot and two finely raised horizontal handles. The high-quality black glaze is accented on the rim by fine bands of red clay applied in reserve. The lower part of the bowl is adorned with a frieze of tongues (tongue pattern) painted in black on a red clay ground, a decorative motif emblematic of Attic productions from the late 5th century B.C. The underside of the foot retains its decoration of concentric, turned circles, characteristic of Athenian workshops.

The skyphos was one of the most common forms of banquet tableware (symposion). Intended for serving and drinking wine, it exemplifies the perfect balance between functionality and aesthetic refinement that characterizes classical Greek pottery. The elegance of its proportions, the depth of its glaze, and the finesse of its decoration illustrate the technical mastery achieved by Athenian potters during this period.

In terms of its shape and decoration, this example is directly comparable to the skyphos held at the Louvre Museum (inv. CA 3912), which comes from Eleon and is attributed to an Attic workshop from the last quarter of the 5th century BCE.

Condition:
In good condition. Normal wear and tear on the glaze, along with minor imperfections and micro-cracks consistent with an age of over twenty-four centuries, which do not affect the piece’s structural integrity or presentation quality.

Provenance:
Former French private collection, dispersed at public auction.

Comparative bibliography:
Comparable to the Attic skyphos in the Louvre Museum, inv. CA 3912; see also B. A. Sparkes and L. Talcott, The Athenian Agora, vol. XII, Black and Plain Pottery of the 6th, 5th, and 4th Centuries B.C., Princeton, 1970.

A sober and refined work from Classical Greece, representative of the output of Athenian workshops at their peak, combining high-quality craftsmanship, excellent condition, and a distinguished provenance.

links:
Louvre Museum example:
https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010254609
Exemplar from the Archaeological Museum of Venice: 
https://catalogo.beniculturali.it/detail/Veneto/ArchaeologicalProperty/CRV-RA_0014178