7 - GREEK ART FROM SOUTHERN ITALY (APULIA, TARENTUM), HELLENISTIC PERIOD, 3rd CENTURY B.C.

GREEK ART FROM SOUTHERN ITALY (APULIA, TARENTUM), HELLENISTIC PERIOD, 3rd CENTURY B.C. Terracotta Phiale with Cell-Like Indentations A rare circular libation cup (phiale) made of beige-orange terracotta, the bowl decorated in relief with twelve pear-shaped cells arranged in a radiating corolla around a prominent central omphalos, the outer rim featuring a decoration of small relief motifs of figures wearing headdresses. Condition: Broken and re-glued; surface wear; earthy and calcareous deposits from use. In good overall condition, with the entire decoration preserved. Dimensions: h. 4 x diam. 20.5 cm Phialae with recesses, characteristic of southern Italian production and particularly of Taranto, were used in religious rituals to pour sacred liquids (wine, oil, milk) as offerings to the deities. A similar dish is housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (“The Met”) under catalog number 19.192.73.