Ancient Greece, Athens (Attic), ca. 5th century BCE. A lovely Attic lekythos (oil vessel) of a traditional form with a slender, tall body, a tubular neck rising to a flattened rim, and a single handle joining neck to shoulder, all standing upon a tiered round foot. The exterior walls are decorated with 3 black-figure palmettes, as a wonderful starburst design embellishes the gently slanted shoulder and a lustrous coat of black glaze envelopes the rim, handle, and lower third of the vessel. The black glaze has developed a silvery iridescence over the centuries. Size: 2.375" in diameter x 6.5" H (6 cm x 16.5 cm)

Lekythoi were used for storing multi-purpose oils in the Classical World. While larger examples were usually designated for keeping olive oil, smaller, more delicate examples, like this one, were reserved for the bath to store precious sweet and floral aromatic ointments. This beautiful vessel was most likely created for an elegant lady's toilette.

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-Mark & Lottie S. Hartsdale, New York, acquired in the 1950s and 1960s

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#163862

Collection label on base and another near bottom. Handle restored from new material. Repair to rim with restoration over break lines. Some nicks and abrasions, commensurate with age. Otherwise, excellent with impressive pigments and lovely earthen deposits on interior.