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Byzantine Guttus with Female Head
Circa 5th-6th Century AD
Description: Round-bodied burnished pottery guttus with a woman's face, possibly an empress, in central medallion. The woman's stylized face is rendered with almond-shaped eyes, arched eyebrows, long nose and full lips. A wind-swept hairstyle indicated by sections of small arches. Striated collar of her garment is apparent. Two pairs of filling holes on either side of her heat. The sloped shoulder is decorated with impressed rays of obelisk shape, interrupted by a flat-in-section loop handle and pointed spout. The shoulder meets the tapered underside at a rounded ridge. The underside is decorated with a design of impressed lines and triangles. Made from a light orange-beige clay and fired to give a grey burnished appearance.
Length: 3.75 in. (9.5 cm)
Diameter: 3.5 in. (8 cm)
Condition: Intact with small chip from nozzle and tip of woman's nose.
Provenance: The guttus was formerly in the collection of Dr. Aspeslagh, Syria, 1950s.
Background: A guttus, such as this example, would have been used in antiquity to pour oil into a lamp. The shape was intended to mimic that of the lamps.
Price: $ 600
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