Attic Squat Lekythos with Dancing Figure

A black glazed squat Lekythos, with an applied loop handle and funnel tip mouth, an exaggerated bulbous lower half sitting atop of a raised ring foot.  The lekythos displays a beautiful decoration with glossy black slip against the red clay, visible to the vessel’s body, rim and base. Two concentric bands, one with alternating thin and thick paint strokes and the outer one with a wave motif, decorate the shoulder, between the spout and the handle. Arranged in a frieze, running along the vessel’s body, is a decoration featuring the depiction of a female figure portrayed dancing and wearing a long, draped chiton and holding a taenia, the Ancient Greek fillet or headband worn during festivals, in her right hand. Beautiful detailing to the rendering of the hair, which appears almost windswept by the motion of the dancing, and facial features are painted with thin, delicate brush strokes, naturalistically depicting of the figure’s face. Stylized tendrils on both sides frame the figure and a stylized beautiful foliage motif featuring two long tendrils enclose an acanthus leaf.