Ancient Art & Natural History: A Cabinet of Curiosities

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Nov 10 | 11:00 AM EST

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| Chicago

Lot 78

An Attic Black-Figured Krater with Six Dancing Komasts

Lot 78

An Attic Black-Figured Krater with Six Dancing Komasts

Status:

Closed

Estimate: $15,000 - $20,000

Estimate$15,000 – $20,000

Status

Closed

An Attic Black-Figured Krater with Six Dancing Komasts

Circa 500 B.C.

Height 8 1/2 inches (21.5 cm).

Provenance:

Private Collection, UK, acquired in London in the 1980s.

Private Collection, United States, acquired in 1985.

Aphrodite Ancient Art, New York, prior to 2015 (Art of the Ancients, Vol. II, p. 8-9, no. 5).

On two panels, six Komasts (revellers) dance around the sides of this krater, adorning padded tunics with one arm forward and one arm back, holding what appear to be drinking horns. Komasts were portrayed on drinking vessels as early as 500s B.C. and shed considerable light on ancient Greek life.

This krater would have been used to house wine and is a fitting receptacle to bear the scene of the Komos (ritualistic procession). The Komos was performed, particularly during the Greater Dionysia, to pay homage to Dionysus, the God of wine, theatre, and euphoria. There are ancient references to the Komos, suggesting the procession was also incorporated into other festivals, symposiums, and even weddings. A vessel with this scene would have surely sparked joy and laughter from its patron during a pleasurable celebration.

Inspected under UV light, 10x loupe and acetone tested. Repaired from multiple large fragments; other repairs or restoration to the foot and handles (areas in question do not lift with acetone). Evidence of overpaint or infill present. Overall in attractive and stable condition.

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Please contact the Auction Specialist for details.

Jacob Coley

Senior Vice President, Head of Department, Antiquities and Ancient Art

[email protected]312 280 1212

Mr. Coley joined the Antiquities department in 2021 after working as Managing Director in the Ancient Art department at Colnaghi, the world’s oldest commercial art gallery, where he helped to establish the Ancient Art department and launched Colnaghi New York in 2017. Prior to Colnaghi, Mr. Coley was in the Greek and Roman Art department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Mr. Coley holds a B.A. from the University of Miami and an M.A. in Art Market from the Fashion Institute of Technology, and he earned an art-appraisal certificate from New York University.

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Ancient Art & Natural History: A Cabinet of Curiosities

An Attic Black-Figured Krater with Six Dancing Komasts

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