37. Amphoriskos

Condition

Fully preserved, with some discoloration and large areas of iridescence. There are no visible cracks or breaks, but some small nicks and scratches. Reddish remains of the core in the interior.

Description

Translucent dark blue body; opaque yellow and turquoise decoration. Broad, inward-sloping rim-disk; relatively tall, cylindrical neck mildly tapering toward rim; obtuse shoulder; elongated, top-shaped body; convex bottom; circular base-knob with a rounded edge. Two opposing dark blue vertical strap handles extend from the shoulders to the upper part of the neck under the rim.

An unmarvered opaque yellow thread is wound around the rim. A wide marvered yellow thread starts on the shoulder and spirals twice around the shoulders and the upper body, where a marvered opaque turquoise thread is wound at least twice; they are both dragged up and down, forming a zigzag pattern. Below this a marvered yellow thread is wound horizontally twice around the body.

Comments and Comparanda

On core-formed amphoriskoi of this period, see comments on cat. 34. For the classification of this particular amphoriskos, see Grose 1989, class I:B, amphoriskos form I:2: pp. 144–146, nos. 97–104.

Provenance

By 1974–1988, Erwin Oppenländer, 1901–1988 (Waiblingen, Germany), by inheritance to his son, Gert Oppenländer, 1988; 1988–2003, Gert Oppenländer (Waiblingen, Germany), sold to the J. Paul Getty Museum, 2003

Bibliography

von Saldern et al. 1974, p. 62, no. 138.

Exhibitions

Gläser der Antike: Sammlung Erwin Oppenländer (Hamburg and Cologne, 1974–1975)