The most charming Daunian olla I've ever come across.

It’s also one of the largest and with the nicest and freshest colour.

With typical broad funnel-shaped rim, the globular body modelled with two arched handles and a pair of really charming stylised donkey head protomes.

Painted in purple reddish-brown and umber.

Small surface loss damage on the rim as indicated and a repair to the flared rim where a couple of large fragment broke off.

Some (stable) hairline cracks on the body as shown.

335mm high !

Circa 425 BC

Daunian pottery comes from the indigenous Dauni peoples from today’s Italian provinces of Bari and Foggia. The Dauni were a tribe of the Iapygian civilization who came from Illyria.

It was mainly produced in the regional production centres of Ordona and Canosa di Puglia, being produced since around 700 BC. The early painted decoration on the pottery are mainly geometric patterns. They consisted of red, brown or black earth colours applied, diamonds, triangles, circles, crosses, squares, arcs, and swastikas. The development of Daunian pottery forms is totally independent of the early Greek ceramics. Typical Daunian pottery shapes include the askos, hopper vessels and bowls with loop handles. Striking are the anthropomorphic and zoomorphic protomen applied to the sides and handles. From the 5th century BC, Daunian pottery is influenced by the Greek forms and stylised human, bird and plant figures become evident.

Much less pleasing examples go for this sort of price.

http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/Lot/a-daunian-pottery-olla-circa-475-425-bc-5425406-details.aspx

http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/Lot/a-daunian-pottery-olla-circa-6th-century-5425407-details.aspx

Price: 0.00 GBP