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The Greek colonies of southern Italy (known in
antiquity as Magna Grecia) were marked by their
initial allegiance to the ceramic styles of the Attic
mainland. However, over the years, native
traditions and innovations heavily influenced the
works of Magna Grecian potters. Unorthodox
forms and painting-styles were seamlessly
merged with the standard Greek style, creating
distinctive works of art unique to the Hellenistic
world. This gorgeous red-figure stamnos comes
from the Faliscan region of central Italy, to the
northwest of Rome. Neighbors of the Etruscans,
today the Faliscan people are best remembered
for their language, which was believed to be very
similar to Latin. So similar, in fact, that scholars
believed the language was displaced by Latin in
the years after Falerii, the Faliscan capital, was
conquered by the Romans in 241 B.C. Faliscan
pottery, as revealed by this red-figured stamnos,
was highly influenced by the vessels created by
their Greek neighbors to the south.
This exquisite vessel is commonly known as a
“kylix”. A “kylix” is a drinking cup with a
horizontal handle on either side and used for
wine. Its name seems to be applied to the cup in
any shape. The kylix usually has a frieze picture
on its outside and another picture
on its inside which is called a tondo. This bowl
with continuous profile from the lip to the body
and handles has a shape like a wishbone. This
cup was produced in the middle of the fourth
century and very few examples have survived.
The tondo with a seated woman to the left, a
mantle around her waist with a tongue border
and a star pattern throughout, a bandolier across
her nude torso, a rayed diadem in her curly
locks, coiled bracelets on her fore-arms, her left
arm raised, her right arm at her side, facing a
nude youth with a mantle across his shoulders,
leaning forward on a staff, a laurel wreath in his
hair, grapes and a fillet in the field, framed by a
border on meander with saltire and checkered
squares; both sides of the exterior with a draped
woman between a draped and nude youth,
palmette complexes below the handles.
- (PF.5519)
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