Ancient Apulian Plate
ca. 350 B.C.
This shallow plate, slightly elevated upon a squat base, would have made an elegant piece of tableware in ancient times. In tondo, we have depicted a beautiful woman adorned with jewelry encircled by a dot and hook motif typical of the Apulian style. She is a stunning rendition of typical "Lady-of-fashion". The exquisite quality of the drawing, can be observed through the rendering of her subtle facial features and jewlery. She wears a saccos which is a characteristic cloth head cover and a stephane, or wreath encircling the head. Ironically, the Lady-of-Fashion, one of the most rendered images on Apulian ware and presented on almost a third of all such pieces, her identity remains a mystery. We can only imagine her as the goddess Aphrodite or maybe Persephone?? While our imagination will have us pondering for some time about the identity of this maiden, we can nonetheless be pleased and appreciate the aesthetic qualities of this magnificent image. Condition: Intact with some minor loss to paint. Diameter: 6 ½ inches Height: 1 ½ inches.
Provenance: Ex German Collection
Asking:
USD $1,500.00
