Lekythos. Southern Italy, 4th century BC.
Black-glazed pottery.
Provenance: Antiquities. Christie's London, 17 May 1977, lot 2. Pickwick Antiques, Barcelona (1978). Later Ribot-Uriach collection.
Attached is a copy of the technical card of the Ribot-Uriach collection.
Attached copy of the Museum of Antiquities Collection data sheet.
Measurements: 8 x 5 cm (diameter).
This lekythos has been decorated using the black-varnish technique, a transparent raw varnish that took on its characteristic intense, glossy black tone after firing. It has a rounded globular body, which prevents it from slipping when held in the hand, a narrow neck and a prominent mouth. It has no figurative decoration, and combines the black surface with the reddish surface of the ceramic for some bands (such as the base and the mouth). The lekythos is a type of Greek pottery used to store perfumed oil for body care. This type of vessel was also widely used as a funerary vessel. It is characterised by its elongated shape, narrow neck and wide mouth, which both limits the flow of the oil and facilitates its application.