Faliscan red-figure oinochoe

Magna-Graecia, c. 400 BC
Height: 23.5 cm
 
Private collection (P. F-C.), Lugano, Switzerland, inherited 1960, and thence by descent 
 
This comes with a thermoluminescence test report from Oxford Authentication.
 
Condition: Recomposed from original fragments with some restoration to the decoration close to the handle
 
A red-figure, shape VII-2 oinochoe decorated with a scene depicting Herakles, standing in a contrapposto pose, wearing the pelt of the Nemean lion. In his right hand he holds his iconic club, with his left he clasps the wrist of a woman, probably his wife, Deianira. On the left of the scene a young man, dressed in a long himation draped over his left shoulder, leans towards the couple resting his weight on a staff. The female figure is dressed modestly in a himation pulled up to cover her hair and decorated at the hem with a thick band of black. Her gaze is downcast as is Herakles.
 
The entire neck, except for the space behind the handle, covered in a neat chequerboard pattern. Below the figures a band of meander or Greek key pattern circles the vessel. Two smaller palmettes beneath the handle from which tendrils spiral out to on either side to further palmettes and lotus bud motif. A pair of small concentric circles flank the handle.
 
Literature: For more information on Type VII Faliskan Oinochoai, see L. Puritani, 'Die Oinochoe des Typus VII: Produktion und Rezeption im Spannungsfeld zwischen Attika und Etrurien' (Frankfurt am Main, 2009), p. 19, and Abbs. 1, 2 and 4. An oinochoe of the same shape can be seen in the collection of the British Museum (Acc. no. 1846,0925.17) but the scale decoration on the neck of that example is a typical Attic attribute.