Paestan Bell Krater from the Workshop of Asteas

Culture: Greek/Paestum

Period: 350-330 B.C.

Material: Terracotta

Dimensions: 23 cm high

Price: 9 000 Euro

Ref: 2691

Provenance: From the Conen collection in Cologne, acquired on 19 April 1989 from Birth Gramm Antichità in Lamone, Switzerland. With original invoice.

Condition: Two small sherds on the rim have been reattached without any missing parts, otherwise wonderfully preserved.

Description: Beautifully preserved red-figure bell krater with white details, from the Paestan workshop of Asteas, depicting the young Dionysus on the front, striding to the right and facing left. He holds the thyrsos and a wreath in his right hand and has a cloak with the dotted hem characteristic of Asteas draped over his arm. In his outstretched right hand he holds a taenia (a ritual headband) with ribbons. His right thigh and ankles are likewise adorned with bands. Dionysos wears his hair tied up in a knot, a wreath, and a white-dotted sash running diagonally across his chest. A Paestan rosette hangs above the scene on the left. Two upright palmettes frame the scene on either side. On the other side is a seated woman with her upper body bare. She has a himation wrapped around her hips and legs, again displaying the dotted ornamental border. White beaded bands adorn her hair and neck, while white bracelets decorate her wrists. A rosette and taenia fill the space in the upper corners, and an altar stands behind the woman. This scene too is framed by upright palmettes. A continuous band of laurel leaves runs beneath the rim of the krater, while a black wave pattern appears below the figural zone. Two upturned handles are attached to the body, with fan-shaped palmettes painted beneath them. The vessel stands on a tall, profiled foot. See for the type, the Asteas krater at Christie’s on 1 October 2014, lot 104.