Warren G. Moon, Greek Vase-Painting in Midwestern Collections

Detroit 65.82

Lent by The Detroit Institute of Arts; Founders Society Purchase, Dr. Lester Cameron Bequest Fund (65.82).

The Vase: H. with lid 18.4 cm; H. without lid 11.3 cm; W. 25.0 cm; D. of lid 18.0 cm; D. of mouth 15.8 cm; D. of base 17.2 cm. Body and lid broken and repaired; some minor repair and repainting. Torus body with flat lid (flat pyxis). The shape of the knob on the lid is a somewhat smaller version of the pyxis itself, but on a stand and with a conical lid. The edge of the lid and lip are pierced with four holes; the holes are ancient.

Decoration: The focus is a central zone of large meander pattern with interior hatching; above this central motif a fine band, first of zigzags, then of chevrons, each separated by three careful lines in dilute; below the meanders two narrow bands, first one of zigzags, then one of rays, again each differentiated by three fine lines in dilute glaze. This same design of thin lines accentuates the mouth and the base, just over a thick band at the base which gives weight and balance to the entire decoration of the vase. The lid at the center has a wide band, a thin zone of zigzags, then one of dots and, near the edge, a band of rays (pointing in); again each motif is separated from the next by well-spaced triple lines (two lines on the edge itself). The knob has banding on the cone, chevrons on the widest part, and bands on the ribbed shaft. The bottom of the vase is reserved, the resting surface, now worn, was glazed; the interior is reserved except for the sunken lip which is glazed. The underside of the lid is reserved and has an "X" graffito near one of the tie holes, at the edge.

The hatching in the meander-zone and other motives seem to have been made with brushes which had multiple hairs, perhaps in one case with fourteen or fifteen limbs and in another with nine. There are noticeable puddles of glaze at the end of each stroke and, as Prof. Coldstream has said of the period (infra, pp. 23-25), the outlines of the meander pattern are not consistently neat. Knobs in the shape of a vase are a pleasing touch not infrequent in Greek ceramics, some of the most elaborate of which are found in late Hellenistic pottery from Centuripe (Sicily) and on South Italian bombylioi. As basic reference: Coldstream 1968, 23-25, pl. 4b.

Bibliography

W.G.Moon.