Description:
A large and magnificently decorated lekanis, much larger than the usual examples of this type of pottery.
On one side of the lid we see a depiction of a hovering, winged Eros who is carrying a cista in his left hand, originally a basket for holding fruits and vegetables but later also other things, including cultic objects. With his other hand he supports a plate or more likely a shallow bowl, called a patera, used for making libations.
The other side has the depicition of a seated female figure holding a casket and an object that is probably a tympanum, a type of tambourine-like drum.
Both illustrations have smaller elements as decoration, such as cushions, flowers and ribbons, and the scenes are separated by palmettes above the handles, and a so-called progressing spiral pattern (“running dog” or “laufender Hund”) is shown around the rim. The top of the knob is decorated with a rosette.
The lower half of the lekanis has a decor of vertical bands below the rim, and a red band around the foot.
The ancient authenticity of the vessel was confirmed by a thermoluminescence test. A copy of the TL test report accompanies the object.
Background information:
A lekanis (plural: lekanides) is a low, shallow bowl on a foot, with two horizontal handles and a cover with a disc-like knob which functions as a handle and the upper side of which has a central depression.
According to the Greek Lexicon by the patriarch of Constantinople Photios (ninth century C.E.) a lekanis is a “vessel with handles for cooked food and the like”. He also wrote that at the epaulia (the day after the wedding) “fathers sent gifts to the brides - jewelry in boxes and girls’ playthings - in lekanides”. Elsewhere he says that brides brought them into their bridegrooms’ houses, and that spices and warp threads were placed in them. Hesychios of Alexandria (5th century C.E., who wrote a lexicon of unusual and obscure Greek words) defines lekanides as terracotta dishes and dishes in which they brought what were possibly cakes in wine to the newly married. Lucian of Samosata (2nd century C.E.) lists silver lekanides among women’s toilet vases. For these references see Richter-Milne, p. 23.
Literature:
For the lekanis in general and the ancient sources mentioning them see already Gisela M. A. Richter and Marjorie J. Milne, Shapes and Names of Athenian Vases, (New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1935), p. 23-24 and figs. 149-151.
Dating:
Circa 4th century B.C.
Size:
Width 26 cm; diameter 21cm excluding handles.
Provenance:
Dutch private collection, acquired at auction from Bonhams London, circa 2011; before that collection of Aldo Branca, Ascona, Switzerland, acquired between the 1960s and 1980s.
SOLD
Stock number:
C0769