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Black-figure Athenian amphora with TL analysis

Price: on request
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Object number
AR3145
Object: Athenian neck amphora

Material: Red clay with black slip and red and white painting
So-called black figure pottery

Date: End of 6th - first quarter 5th century B.C.
Late Archaic till Early Classic period

Description:    Disk-shaped foot, ovoid body with steep shoulder, broad concave neck, two attached handles.
One side shows Athena killing a Giant. Athena, dressed with peplos and aegis and wearing a helmet is advancing to the right. She holds a shield marked with two white disks in the left hand, the right arm is raised over the head. In front of her a Giant fallen to his knees, pierced by Athena's lance, while his own lance bounces off her shield. He is still holding his shield with the right hand and wearing a helmet. Details of helmets and clothing worked with red paint, feet, right arm and parts of face of Athena with white paint.
The other side shows a scene with Dionysos and a maenad.
At foot band of rays, followed by band of lotos buds and arcs. Neck decorated with lotos buds, palmettes and volutes, bands of rays on shoulder.

Size: Height 160 mm, diameter at handles 102 mm

Condition: Almost perfectly preserved. One of the handles professionally restored, tiny part missing at neck. Otherwise in excellent condition, vivid original colors.

References: Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, Leipzig, Antikenmuseum der Karl Marx Universittät 2, Pl. 14.1-3, with further references therein.
See also:
Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, Paris, Bibliotheque Nationale 1, Pl. 40.1-4
Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, Chiusi, Museo Archeologico Nazionale 1, Pl. 39.1-2

TL certificate: A thermoluminescence analysis (Kotalla Laboratory, Nr. 01R-AR-3145) performed in April 2022 has confirmed the age of the figurine to be 2600 years (+/- 16%), which perfectly matches with the dating based on the style.

Provenance: Acquired 2021 from the stone mason and artist Mr. M.B. (Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany). Ex private collection Mr. M. T., Bergisch Gladbach, Germany. Inherited from his parents who acquired the object in Germany in the 1960s. A note from the antiquities dealer Dr. Kurt Deppert, "Kunstwerke der Antike", Frankfurt am Main, dated February 08, 1968, sets the terminus ante quem the object was acquired into the collection T. Dr. Deppert was requested by the family T. to provide a short assessment of the collection, which he did along with a detailed description of all objects.

Authenticity: We unconditionally guarantee the authenticity of every artefact, all items are subject to our lifetime return policy on authenticity.