Greek black-glaze bolsal with reserved detail on base, Athens, 5th century BC
Terracotta
Height: 8.5cm, diameter: 16cm, width across the handles: 25cm
10294
Further images
The drinking cup has a deep bowl, a wide mouth and a pair of thin, horizontal horseshoe-shaped handles. Double incised lines above the flaring ring foot and around the outside...
The drinking cup has a deep bowl, a wide mouth and a pair of thin, horizontal horseshoe-shaped handles. Double incised lines above the flaring ring foot and around the outside of the rim. The underside with an extremely fine decoration; the surface scraped away and a red wash added before firing, consisting of nine concentric circles of varying widths, and a reserved band around the resting surface. Recomposed from three large fragments, the surface with chips to the glaze, below the rim on one side are many linear losses following areas of craquelure.
The term bolsal is an amalgamation of the names of two places where the later Attic red-figure example Skyphos have been found: Bologna and Salonica. The Attic bolsals are particularly finely potted, with thin walls and sometimes a moulded underside. As with other vessels, the banding on the underside of the foot was most usually created by painting onto a reserved ground; however, in some cases, as is true with the present example, a similar effect was made by first covering the whole surface in black glaze and then scraping away both the glaze and a small layer of clay. The complexity and execution of the underside of this cup demonstrates the exceptional quality of its potting.
The term bolsal is an amalgamation of the names of two places where the later Attic red-figure example Skyphos have been found: Bologna and Salonica. The Attic bolsals are particularly finely potted, with thin walls and sometimes a moulded underside. As with other vessels, the banding on the underside of the foot was most usually created by painting onto a reserved ground; however, in some cases, as is true with the present example, a similar effect was made by first covering the whole surface in black glaze and then scraping away both the glaze and a small layer of clay. The complexity and execution of the underside of this cup demonstrates the exceptional quality of its potting.