Amphora with Polychrome and Relief Decoration

This vase is an example from a rare group of ornate vessels. Their undecorated backs suggest they were intended for display within a niche. The Eros figures carry the attributes of Dionysus, including torches, a pail, and a lyre. The use of color, the tall, narrow proportions, and the elongated finial with floral tip on the lid are characteristic of South Italian work, but the authenticity of this piece is questioned after thermoluminesence testing indicated a modern date of manufacture.

Provenance

Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.

James W. Barney, by 1946, [mode of acquisition unknown] [said to be from Tarentum]; Walters Art Museum, 1946, by gift.