VesselsRoman2nd-3rd century CE

One-handled Flask with Decorative Appliqués

200-400 CE

Description

Intact piriform one-handled red-slip flask with four appliqué decorations. The mouth is small, with the lip flaring out slightly and a small chip on the edge. The separately-attached vertical handle joins the body midway down and ends just above the base; the vessel sits on a small disc foot. The decoration consists of two ears of wheat, placed one on either side of the handle; a nude youth in profile, bending slightly, and holding something; and a male-female erotic scene. Classification: J. W. Hayes, Late Roman Pottery (British School at Rome, 1972), form 171.39

Classification

Vessels

Technique

Redware

Medium

Terracotta

Culture

Roman

Period

Roman Imperial period, Late, to Early Byzantine

Century

2nd-3rd century CE

Division

Asian and Mediterranean Art

Department

Department of Ancient and Byzantine Art & Numismatics

Dimensions

without handle: H. 14.1 x Dia. 7.7 cm (5 9/16 x 3 1/16 in.)

Provenance

English collection (by 1980) sold; to [Jeffrey Spier, Ancient Coins and Antiquities, NY, 1980-1982], sold; to The Alice Corinne McDaniel Collection, Department of the Classics, Harvard University (1982-2012), transfer; to the Harvard Art Museums, 2012.