Anna Marston
Associate Specialist
Lot 21*
An Attic black-figure cup fragment with a dancing komast
6 July 2023, 11:00 BST
London, New Bond Street£1,500 - £2,000
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Siobhan Quin
Senior Specialist
Francesca Hickin
Head of Department
An Attic black-figure cup fragment with a dancing komast
Attributed to the Theseus Painter, circa 510-480 B.C.
3.1cm high, 7cm diam
Attributed to the Theseus Painter, circa 510-480 B.C.
3.1cm high, 7cm diam
Footnotes
Provenance:
Possibly Karl Schefold (1905–1999) collection, Basel (name on underside).
Paris art market, 2008.
with Jean-David Cahn AG, Basel.
Private collection, Switzerland, acquired from the above 19 May 2021.
Kylixes by the Theseus Painter are exceedingly rare. The Theseus Painter was named by Beazley because the artist often favoured the deeds of Theseus in his work. Komasts were also a popular subject, such as the dancing figure on the above tondo, who is depicted with one leg raised while holding a drinking horn. The painter also used nonsense inscriptions, as seen on this fragment and on cups in Salerno, Museo Nazionale (no. 158A, Beazley Archive no. 330716) and Tarentum, Museo Nazionale 6515 (Beazley Archive no. 330715).