Funnel crater. Greece, Magna Graecia, Daunia, 6th century BC.

Funnel crater. Greece, Magna Graecia, Daunia, 6th century BC.
Ceramics and pigments.
Provenance: Auctioned at Boscher Studer Fromentin, Paris, March 3, 2000.
Conservation: Good condition, only has a crack in the funnel.
Measurements: 29.5 cm. high.

This funnel krater, characteristic of Daunian ceramic production in southern Italy, responds to a typology linked to both the domestic and ritual spheres. Its morphology, with a globular body, lateral handles and a wide upper funnel, suggests its use for mixing or pouring liquids, probably in ceremonial or funerary contexts.

The painted decoration, geometric and schematic in nature, is organized in horizontal registers that run along the body of the vessel. Linear, undulating motifs and abstract forms are combined with more symbolic elements, in a composition of great formal simplicity but remarkable visual strength. This ornamentation is representative of the Daunian decorative language, where stylization predominates over the naturalistic figuration typical of the classical Greek world.