Greek black-glaze lekanis, Athens, c.425 BC
Terracotta
Height: 9.2cm, diameter: 12.5cm, width across the handles: 19cm
9347
Further images
The lidded bowl has upward-tilting, horizontal ribbon handles and a low, conical ring foot. There is a flange for the slightly convex lid, the disc knop has a raised edge...
The lidded bowl has upward-tilting, horizontal ribbon handles and a low, conical ring foot. There is a flange for the slightly convex lid, the disc knop has a raised edge and a small depression in the centre, and it sits atop a relatively tall stem. The rim and broad resting surface are reserved, the top of the knop and the underside of the base decorated with reserved circles. The bowl intact, the lid with a break at the stem and on the edge of the knop made good, some incrustation inside the knop’s depression.
The lekanis (pl. lekanides) was a type of container and a widely used household object, acting as a receptacle for food, spices, thread and even toys. The lekanis was part of the repertoire of gifts given to a bride on her wedding night. All of the vases from this group have a flat bowl, a low foot, two horizontal handles and, except for one class of lidless lekanides, a lid with knopped finial.
The lekanis (pl. lekanides) was a type of container and a widely used household object, acting as a receptacle for food, spices, thread and even toys. The lekanis was part of the repertoire of gifts given to a bride on her wedding night. All of the vases from this group have a flat bowl, a low foot, two horizontal handles and, except for one class of lidless lekanides, a lid with knopped finial.
Provenance
Private collection of A.L., Munich, Germany; acquired 1970sLiterature
Compare B. Sparkes and L.Talcott, The Athenian Agora, Vol.XII, Black and Plain Pottery (Princeton, 1970), no.1220Also see Florian S Knauss and Jörg Gebauer, Black is Beautiful, Griechische Glanztonkeramik (Munich, 2019), p.182, cat.no.252
Publications
Charles Ede Ltd, London, General Antiquities 186, 2013, no.23