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The Provenance of the Cambridge Skyphos by the KX Painter

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 December 2013

Hans-Günteh Buchholz
Affiliation:
Cambridge and Giessen

Extract

The Attic black-figure skyphos (or perhaps rather more strictly, kotyle) of c. 580 B.C. shown here has already been published as of unknown provenance as the frontispiece of Sir Arthur W. Pickard-Cambridge, Dithyramb, Tragedy and Comedy (sides A and B) and in CVA Cambridge i pl. 2, 8a–b (side A and one of the handle zones). The purpose of this note is to draw attention to the extremely interesting provenance now established for it. At the same time, the opportunity has been taken to publish views of the side and handle zone not illustrated in the CVA and to add a few further comments on the condition of the vase, since such considerations have proved vital to its identification.

Previously known under the interim serial, Fitzwilliam Museum X5, as an object completely lacking any record of source or acquisition, it has now been able to be fully documented and formally inventoried as no. GR.126.1892. The vase has been assembled from many fragments and its foot is completely missing, but the walls are largely intact down to a little above or below the base-line to the figured scene.

Type
Notes
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies 1978

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References

1 Other bibliography: JHS xlvii (1927) 148; Greifenhagen, A., Eine attische schwarzfigurige Vasengattung und die Darstellung des Komos im 6. Jahrhundert (Diss. Königsberg 1928) 12Google Scholar no. 22; NC 196 no. 27; Hesperia xiii (1944) 46 no. 1; ABV 26 no. 24 (where closely related to Athens 528, for which see Hesperia xiii 45 no. 14, pl. 5.2; Beazley, , Development 20Google Scholar, pl. 7.3; Charbonneaux, J., Martin, R., Villard, F., Archaic Greek Art [English version. 1971] 56Google Scholar, fig. 57). For recent bibliography on the Komast Group see Hornbostel, W. in Münch. Jb xxvi (1975) 3764Google Scholar.

2 Ann. Report Fitzwilliam Mus. Syndicate 1892, 1, 4; ibid., 1907, 4. For a selection of the Cypriot vases see CVA Cambridge ii pls. 7–14.

3 1 March 1892, 564–5.

4 Recently this vase has been identified among the photographs from M. Ohnefalsch-Richter's excavations of 1889 at Politiko-Tamassos. These are in the archives of the Antikenabteilung of the Staatliche Museen at Berlin-Charlottenburg. They clearly show the Cambridge cup, GR. 116.1892, as from Tomb 2 within the necropolis of Chomazoudia (cemetery IV or D), which is in the area of the ‘Royal Tombs’ of Tamassos. In the excavator's unpublished report of 27th June, 1889, there is mentioned ‘eine Kylix mit Inschrift, die nur teilweise erhalten ist. Drei Zeichen sind hinter dem Rücken der Figur, zwischen dem rechten Fuss und dem Haarschopf, zu erkennen. … Rote Gestalt auf schwarzem Grunde, ein nackter laufender Mann hält auf der Linken ein grosses Gefäss, in der Linken [sic] einen Stab. Firnisfarbe teilweise abgesprungen. … Dm 23 cm von Henkel zu Henkel, H 8.3 cm.’ This tomb (no. IV, 2) may be recognized on the sketch of that area, AA 1973 303, fig. 6, near upper right corner. Complete report in AA 1978 (forthcoming).

5 For number of tomb (XII) see AA 1973 322 ff. (esp. 324), 303 fig. 6, centre of left side, most westerly of four tombs in one line. It was mentioned by Ohnefalsch-Richter, in AM xl (1915) 56Google Scholar. Its location is to be seen on the photograph, BCH lxxxviii (1964) 214 fig. 8.

6 H.-G. Buchholz and V. Karageorghis are preparing a study of Greek imports to Cyprus from the beginning of the Iron Age to the end of the Archaic Period.

7 Zeitschr. für Ethnologie xxxi (1899) Verhandlungen 360.

8 Zwierlein-Diehl, E., Antike Gemmen in deutschen Museen i, Berlin (1969) 65Google Scholar no. 135, pl. 32; see also Furtwängler, A., Beschr. der geschnittenen Steine im Antiquarium (1896)Google Scholar pl. 3 and AG i pl. 7.19; discussed also by Vollenweider, M.-L., Cat. Mus. d'Art et d'Histoire de Genève i (1967) 123Google Scholar under no. 157.

9 ‘Re herches sur les Antiquités de Tamassos’, BCH lxxxviii (1964) 199 ff.

10 Buchholz, in AA 1973 299Google Scholar, 322, 330 ff., figs. 23, 32; AA 1974 578.