**First Time At Auction**

Greece, Athens (Attic), ca. 6th to 5th century BCE. A very special kylix cup also called an eye cup as it presents two pairs of wide-open eyeballs painted in silhouette style with white and black pigment under sinuous fine-line eyebrows on the exterior walls along with figures occupying the spaces between and flanking the ocular forms. The six figures are male and may represent athletes or youths; however, one holds a bull over his shoulders suggesting that he may represent Theseus of Athens. Theseus had to capture the sacred bull of Marathon before facing the Minotaur who the Greeks believed was born of the Queen and a bull was consequently hidden away in the famous labyrinth built by the King. Scholars believe that Greek vase painters placed eyes on cups, because they were apotropaic - having the power to ward off evil. Another theory is that that when held up to drink, the eye cup would transform into a mask with painted eyes, handles that resembled ears, and the foot resembling a mouth. Size: 11.75" W handlespan x 3.625" H (29.8 cm x 9.2 cm)

The invention of the eye cup is traditionally attributed to Exekias whose eye cup in the Staatliche Antikensammlungen in Munich (530 to 540 BCE) is generally regarded as a masterpiece. Exekias presented large apotropaic eyes and battles between heroes on the exterior and on the interior, Dionysos sailing in a ship with dolphins in the surrounding seas. (https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Attic-black-fi-gure-cup-Munich-Staatliche-Antikensammlungen-2082_fig8_272179770)

See a Greek Attic eye-cup with Theseus and the Minotaur painted between the eyes at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City (Accession No. 09.221.39) - https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/09.221.39/

Provenance: ex-private T.S. collection, San Diego County, California, USA, acquired between 25 and 40 years ago

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#140588

Repaired from multiple pieces. Chips to rim, handles, and base. Expected surface wear commensurate with age. Some areas of repainting, but about 90% of the paint is original.