Ancient Greece, ca. 5th to 4th century BCE. A beautiful wheel-thrown pottery lebes gamikos with a squat footed base, a gradually-widening body with a concave shoulder, a raised lip meant to hold a lid, and a pair of arching handles. The lid has a discoid body with a tapering neck and a ball-shaped handle. Both vessel and lid handle - save the foot and lid body - are adorned with black-glazed decorations, and scattered areas of faint silvery iridescence provide a nice chromatic complementarity. Size (w/ lid): 4.625" W x 5.3" H (11.7 cm x 13.5 cm).Lebes Gamikos (plural lebetes gamikoi) are important and highly-symbolic vessels created in the Classical world. High handles and ornate designs characterize this particular style, and were used primarily in times of great happiness or immense sorrow. This form of pottery is used during ancient marriage ceremonies. Its name literally translates to "marriage vase", and it was used to ritualistically sprinkle the bride with water prior to the wedding. Lebetes gamikoi were also an integral component of funerary rituals, used to consecrate the body of and act as a grave marker for women who died without experiencing the act of betrothal. Provenance: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, acquired before 2010 All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping. #142810