Apulian red figure kantharos

The kantharos was a form of Ancient Greek cup for drinking wine, as well as for use in rituals and offerings. Featuring the head of a fashionable woman, the bold and simple style of the decoration of this vessel is typical of Apulian painting of the period. The Apulia region in Southern Italy had been colonised by Greece in the eighth century BCE and over the ensuing centuries many Apulian traditions and customs had been integrated with those of their Greek friends and neighbours. The shape and style of this kantharos appear to be relatively common, with several fine examples contained in museological collections around the world. It is thought that these cups may have been created in sets and used in the traditional Greek symposium, a custom adopted by the Apulian people.

Tansy Curtin, Curator of International Art Pre-1980