Object Description
Ca. 400-300 BC
A Messapian lebes gamikos, a delicately formed vessel with an inverted bell-shaped body and its characteristic pair of horizontal strap handles set on either shoulder. The mouth of the vessel has a raised rim on which would have rested a discoid lid with a knobbed handle. The vessel sits on a low, circular foot. The centre is decorated with a band of stylised vines and horizontal plain bands above and below. A large glazed band decorates the body of the vase, with decorative glaze also applied to the handles, rim, and foot. The lebes gamikos, or “nuptial lebes”, is a form of Greek pottery associated with the marriage ceremony. It was probably used for the ritual sprinkling of the bride with water before a wedding.
Size: L:164mm / W:173mm ; 765g