AN ATTIC RED-FIGURE PELIKE IN THE MANNER OF THE... Lot 65

AN ATTIC RED-FIGURE PELIKE IN THE MANNER OF THE NIOBID PAINTER H. max. 44.5 cm. Clay, black glaze, added white colour. Attic, ca. 460 B.C. The outside of the foot is reserved, while its top and the bottom section of the body ? like the handles and lip ? are glazed. Below the figures is a band of maeander punctuated by saltire squares; above them is a band of double palmettes. The points of attachment of the handles are outlined at the bottom by a reserved line; below each handle is a palmette vine with flowering shoots on the sides. A: Anodos of Persephone. At the centre of the image is the standing figure of Demeter, wearing a peplos and with her hair bound up and held by a fillet; in each hand she holds a torch with white flames flickering towards her. She looks down towards Persephone, who, rising up out of the ground on her left wearing drapery similar to her mother?s and a crown (?) in her hair, places one foot on the maeander band symbolizing the earth. On the other side, Hermes observes the scene. He wears a short himation, his petasos hangs beside his head on the left. On his feet are high laced boots; his left foot is set on a small rock and his hand rests on his knee; he holds his kerykeion in his angled right hand. B: Royal scene. Facing left at the centre of the image is the standing figure of a bearded king with hima- tion and white circlet; in his right hand he holds a sceptre crowned with lotus flowers. He is flanked by two women wearing chitons and mantles who face him and raise their right hands in a speaker?s gesture. All figures outlined with broad brush strokes. Incised outlines around heads, necks and torsos of all figures. Glaze on figures partly lost. Unbroken and complete. Slightly warped, presumably during firing. Provenance: Private Coll. N., Switzerland, 1970-1980. Inv. no. 36. During firing, another vessel leant against our pelike, touching Hermes?s kerykeion and Demeter?s hand, and causing a slight indentation. The glaze in this area is