An Apulian (Greek) Mascaroon krater (The ‘Cawdor Vase’)“Provenance: T
An Apulian (Greek) Mascaroon krater (The ‘Cawdor Vase’)“Provenance: The Cawdor Vase is said (by Michaelis) to have been found in 1790 near Lecce in Southern Italy. It was in the possession of the King of Naples, then purchased by General Oudinot, sent to England, and sold for 1000 guineas to Baron Cawdor (d.1821). Michaelis states (pp.163 and 481) that at the sale of the collection of J. Edwards, the bookseller in Pall Mall, this vase came into Soane’s possession. However, this is not the case. An entry in Soane’s Journal 1 dated 9 May 1800 reads “Paid Mr. Taylor for vases bought at Lord Cawdor’s Sale” and contains an individual item £68.5.0, which can only be this vase.Side AThe neck: A nude Nike drives a quadriga preceded by another, fully clad Nike to the left. At the right aDionscuros seizes one of the daughters of Leucippos. Above: The sacrifice by Oinomaos prior to his chariot race with Pelops. The king stands at the altar of Zeus, holding a phiále, a wreath and a flower in his right hand, a spear vertically in the left, while a youth (Myrtilos?) brings up a ram for sacrifice. On the right of this group sits a retainer with armour about; from the left a female figure wearing diadem, ear-ring, and necklace approaches with a basket, a fillet, and three epichýseis. The altar is horned, and above it rises a pillar with moulded top, on which the Zeus image stands advancing and brandishing a thunderbolt. The object behind his left hand must be understood as a spare wheel for Oinomaos’ chariot, like the armour also suspended in the nearby field.Below: A winged female figure nimbate and in shortchiton stands holding the reins of two unharnessed horses at the right and shares the two at the left with an attendant in chalmys (chlamys?) and boots standing between them.Side BThe neck: three large palmettes.Above and below: A nude male figure seated on a cuirass in a large, columned aedicula, flanked on the left by a nude youth seated on a cuirass (above) and a standing draped female (below), on the right by a seated female (above), and a nude youth below (all somewhat retouched).The decoration features large, elaborate palmettes beneath the handles, and from top to bottom laurel, meander, thin dentils, ovolo (on side A) and wave (on side B), and filleted meander as the base groundline.This vase belongs to the late, post-Darian group and is characterized by the rather hideous drawing of the faces. There is a large krater by the same hand in Naples and from the fame of the Soane example we may be perfectly justified in calling the artist the Cawdor Painter.” -- source link
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