• latw-91-1
    Skyphos with orientalizing decoration, confronted sphinxes. (©Archaeological Exploration of Sardis/President and Fellows of Harvard College)
  • latw-91-2
    Conservator Jean-Françoise de Laperouse, restoring Orientalizing skyphos (©Archaeological Exploration of Sardis/President and Fellows of Harvard College)

Skyphos with orientalizing decoration, confronted sphinxes

Date
Ca. 575-550 BC, Lydian
Museum
Manisa, Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum, 7078
Museum Inventory No.
7078
Sardis or Museum Inv. No.
P61.535
Material
Ceramic
Object Type
Pottery
Pottery Shape
Skyphos
Pottery Ware
Lydian Painted - Orientalizing
Pottery Attribution
Site
Sardis
Sector
PN
Trench
PN
B-Grid Coordinates
W245 / S380 *86.86 - 86.56
Description
More than of the vessel, including most of body and all of foot and handles, restored (by J.-F. de Lapérouse). Cream slip over which decoration in dark sepia/yellow brown slip, and white slip. Exterior decoration: handle zone (only one side partially preserved), confronted sphinxes flanking a central lotus ornament, all resting on a narrow ground line; below, false meander pattern flanked by broad bands in dark with superposed narrow bands in white; on lower body, voided rays separated by stemmed buds. Restored height 0.208 m, restored mouth diameter 0.26 m.
Comments
Recovered from an extramural occupation quarter at Sardis (excavation sector PN). Affinities with Aeolic orientalizing decoration were suggested by Hanfmann (Hanfmann 1962, 23), perhaps because both the skyphos decoration and Aeolic orientalizing vase painting share broadly conceived, boldly rendered images; but the skyphos decoration is probably neither drawing style, and specific iconography suggests that the skyphos decoration owes little or nothing directly to Aeolic vase painting styles, which are admirably presented in Iren 2003.
See Also
Greenewalt, “Lydian Pottery”.
Bibliography
Hanfmann 1962, 23, fig. 16.
Author
CHG