Olpe

Oinochoe, olpe. With totelli. Decorations on yellow clay, leaves, etc. Light cream clay, fine texture. Shape: short foot with bevelled edge. Flat bottom. Drop ovoid body. Narrow drip ledge base of neck. Neck thin and flaring to curved, bevelled lip. Rim flared with broad mouth. Single strap handle attached mid-shoulder. 2 discs (round, flat pieces of clay) added on rim either side of handle. Decoration: Design paint brown on upper part, red on lower. White and purplish red paint added. Foot brown, now rubbed to cream ground. On base, band of rays above which is band of red flanked by narrower white band. 3 friezes at lower bely, belly and shoulder. Above and below central belly frieze is band of white dots flanked wither side by narrow white band. Friezes of floral ornaments laid out 1st with incised lines and then parts left reserved or filled in with white and purplish red. In lowest zone (lower belly) chain of purplish red and white semicircles alternately reversed. Between each pair of ends a double palmette with petals alternately red and white. Axis of floral chain in central frieze horizontal. Large spreading leaves white, ends curve downward and from them hang white lobes. Details of palmettes alternately white and purplish red ad spring from white arc placed between curved white leaves of previous ornament. Beyond them triangle of solid white, followed by chevron of ground red, then 2 purplish red pointed foliates of calyx from between which spring larger leaves in upper frieze. Chain of lotuses and palmettes, alternately reversed. 2 petals of lotuses slender and pointed, they enclose secondary palmette which is bisected by 3rd smaller petal or stalk. Ends of connecting festoons encircle base of handle. Petals of palmettes alternately white and purplish red. At base of handle is white dot rosette. Narrow white bands above and below drip ledge. Neck brown with 4 white dot rosettes around middle. Rim painted brown for 0.055m either side of handle. Group of white lines painted on rim above handle and parallel to its axis. Handle brown inner surface of neck painted brown for 0.03m. Outer faces of rim discs have superimposed white crosses. Incision as mentioned above only on floral ornaments in frieze to outline shapes. Intact. Surface somewhat rubbed.