Hellenistic Megarian Bowl with Theatre Mask

Circa 3rd-2nd Century BC

Description:  Outstanding example of a high-quality Megarian bowl dating from the Hellenistic Period during which much of the Aegean and Western Asia were under the influence of Alexander the Great.  The bowl was made in an elegant thin-walled style and ornately decorated with a pattern of alternating kanthorai and acanthus leaves, with an upper register featuring an egg-and-dart pattern.  Distinctively, the bottom of the vessel is decorated with a well-preserved theatre mask of New Comedy, perhaps a reference to the immensely popular plays of Menander. 

Dimensions:  2.25 in (5.5 cm) high x 3.7 in (9.5 cm) wide

Condition:  Intact. The vessel has a superb tactile quality typical of the finest Megarian bowls of the period.  

Provenance:  Formerly a German property with an old collector’s tag reading “No. 853” affixed to the interior.  

Price:  SOLD