Greece, Athens, ca. 5th century BCE. A black-figure lekythos (oil/libation vessel) painted via the black-figure technique, depicting a male and female, the female holding a tambourine or wreath in her hand - the bearded male facing her donning a helmet, flanked by Dionysos, god of wine, riding an ass (donkey) on the right and a warrior riding backwards on another ass. (For more context about this pair of asses see below). An ornamental hanging lotus buds motif adorns the shoulder. Definitely intriguing despite its condition. Size: 4" W x 7.5" H (10.2 cm x 19 cm)

Ceramic production and painting took place in the northwest corner of Athens, in Kerameikos, where artisans created everyday household pottery as well as architectural decoration, roof tiles, and figurines. These were generally made on manually turned potter's wheels, and were either the product of one or two workers -- there was no mass production. Athenian kilns were fired by wood and the temperature controlled the ultimate color of the pottery.

In black-figure vase painting, an artist applied both figural and ornamental motifs with a slip that turned black during firing, while the background was left the buff color of the clay to provide contrast. As we see in this example, vase painters sometimes articulated individual forms by incising the slip. Sometimes white and purple fugitive pigment was added as well.

For intriguing context linking Dionysos to the animal known as an ass, read the following passage discussing ancient astronomy from Pseudo-Hyginus, Astronomica 2. 23 (trans. Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) : "In one part of its figure [of the constellation Cancer] there are certain stars called Asses, pictured on the shell of the Crab by Liber [Dionysos] with two stars only. For Liber, when madness was sent upon him by Juno [Hera], is said to have fled wildly through Thesprotia intending to reach the oracle of Dodonaean Jove [Zeus] to ask how he might recover his former sanity. When he came to a certain large swamp which he couldn't cross, it is said two asses met him. He caught one of them and in this way was carried across, not touching the water at all. So when he came to the temple of Dodonaean Jove [Zeus], freed at once from his madness, he acknowledged his tanks to the asses and placed them among the constellations. Some say he [Dionysos] gave a human voice to the ass which had carried him. This ass later had a contest with Priapus on a matter of physique, but was defeated and killed by him. Pitying him because of this, Liber [Dionysos] numbered him among the stars, and so that it should be known that he did this as a god, not as a timid man fleeing from Juno [Hera], he placed him above the Crab which had been added to the stars by her kindness."

Provenance: Ex-Young Collection, New Hampshire

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#118748

Repaired from many pieces with nicks and paint losses as shown.