Ancient Greece, Magna Graecia, Apulia, near present day Ignazia, ca. 340 to 320 BCE. A graceful pouring vessel used for dispensing precious oils presenting a globular body that dramatically tapers to a slender neck with an extended spout and an elegantly arching handle, all sitting upon a discoid foot. Painted in the classic Gnathian manner, the exterior is enveloped in a deep black glaze and adorned with polychrome and incised decoration. The ancient vessel was painted post-firing in a lively palette of added fugitive red, yellow, and white shades with several registers of finely delineated decoration - including egg-and-dart, zigzag, dotted, lozenge, and nested "Z" motifs framing a central wide register of a leafy tendrils with a lovely flower at the center. A pair of relief maskettes further adorns the junctures between the handle and the spout. Its glossy black surface has attained a silvery iridescence with age. Size: 2.8" Diameter x 7" H (7.1 cm x 17.8 cm)Gnathian ware is named for the site where it was first discovered - the Apulian site of Egnathia. The black glaze ware is traditionally decorated with floral motifs in red, white, or yellow hues. Scholars believe that its production most likely was centered around Taras, with primary workshops in Egnathia and Canosa. The quantity and quality of Greek colonial Apulian potters increased significantly following the Peloponnesian War when Attic exports dramatically decreased. Apulian artistry demonstrates influences of Ionian (Athenian, Attic) conventions, as well as Doric (western colonial Greek) styles, with a palpable native Italian aesthetic. Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-private T.G. collection, Williston, Florida, USA, no 2832, acquired in 2000; ex-Bridgeport Gallery, South Australia All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping. #170836