An ancient Greek wine pourer, or rhyton, circa 340-325 BC, is expected to bring $35,000-45,000 in an online sale of antiquities, pre-Columbian and tribal art on May 12.
 Ancient Greek Laconian dog rhyton |
Moulded into the shape of a Laconian dog, the rhyton comes from the ancient Greek colony of Apulia, in what is now southern Italy. The vessel was designed with a wide mouth at one end, with the other pierced with a small hole.
It is believed that the cup would have been used to scoop wine from a larger carrier, blocking the hole with a thumb, before releasing again to let the fluid drain out.
The stunning item bears the trademark style of ancient Greece, painted in black over terracotta. The piece will feature as top lot in the auction.
Also in the sale is a fantastic Greek helmet circa 600-550 BC. The iconic bronze helmet features an excellent patina, demonstrating the considerable age of the item. It is expected to bring $20,000-25,000 at auction.
The Pre-Columbian Art section of the sale will be led by an exquisite Mayan mask. Beautifully carved from jade in the characteristic style of the Mayans, the mounted piece once featured as part of the Arundel collection. It offers collectors the chance to house a museum quality item in their own private collections. The mask is expected to bring $25,000-30,000.
The collection of Thomas Howard, 21st Earl of Arundel, is famed for the magnificent Arundel Marbles, which are now housed in the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, UK after being donated to Oxford University.
