953 - A kantharos of the later type with a stemmed base, Roman, 1st–2nd centuries A.D.

A kantharos of the later type with a stemmed base, Roman, 1st–2nd centuries A.D. Drinking cup with a stemmed base. The base, 4.6 cm in diameter, is turned and features turned grooves on both the top and bottom surfaces. The rim flares diagonally downward, forming a standing rim. The 2.5 cm high foot is 1.2 cm wide at the center of the stem and is soldered to the body of the vessel at the upper end by a small, conical disc 2.5 cm in diameter. Below is an egg-shaped body, 5.7 cm high, which transitions at the shoulder—after an obtuse-angled break—into a 2-cm-high groove. Above this is the 1.9 cm high rim, which is also grooved and ends at the top and bottom with a bead bordered by lines. The drinking cup, elegantly shaped in this manner, has two opposing handles on the sides. The handles are covered at the top by a handle plate that is tongue-shaped on the outside, 1.5 mm thick, and forked on the inside; on both sides, this plate transitions toward the rim of the vessel into a volute and then into a stylized bird’s head with a long beak. The round inner side of the forked grip plate is soldered to the rim along its entire length. Below the handle plate is an open ring soldered between the handle plate and an upward-curving tongue, which is likewise soldered to a leaf-shaped attachment at the upper edge of the body, in front of the fluted shoulder. Total height 11.5 cm. Diameter from one end of the handle plate to the other: 16 cm. A simple drinking vessel made of precious metal with a smooth surface of classical elegance. The surface is slightly mottled in color. A completely intact, undamaged kantharos from the early to high Roman Imperial period, in exceptionally beautiful and perfect condition. CULTURAL HERITAGE! Provenance: Belgian private collection, acquired from the British private collection of D.L. shortly after 2000. Acquired by the aforementioned collector in 1984 from a London gallery; previously in the British collection of A.N. (assembled in the 1960s–1980s). Condition: I -