Corinthian Black-Figured Alabastron

Origin: MediterraneanCirca: 630 BC to 620 BCDimensions: 7.5" Height x 3.8" Width (19 cm x 9.65 cm)Medium: Terracotta This exceptional and elegantly composed tear shaped Corinthian Alabastron is a standout for the type.  The complex decorative scheme is centered around a standing figure of the winged Artemis Potnia Theron, Mistress of Animals, and is masterfully conceived by balancing the powerful goddess with swans on either side featuring outstretched wings. The goddess wears an elaborately decorated tunic, grasping the neck of a swan in each hand while on the reverse a single swan stands below a large hanging lotus bud. A series of delicately rendered rosettes litter the field, with parallel lines and tongues at the neck, dots at the rim and a radiating lobed sunburst at the mouth.  Minute details can be found in added purple on the back under the strap handle.