Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art

About this Work

Elaborate pottery vessels like this one were discovered in tombs near the town of Centuripe and usually depict women performing religious rites. Centuripe ware is known for a greater range of colors than the more typical black with added red or white that was used in black- and red-figure pottery decoration. Additional colors include pink, blue, green, yellow, and purple, but those colors were applied after firing and, therefore, are much more fragile than those added before firing. The subject matter and technique used on this bowl indicate that it was intended for a funerary context. The interesting use of added sculptural elements supports this assessment since they would likely not withstand daily use. They add, however, to the bowl’s highly decorative effect.