2003 - South Italian Vase
On loan to the Antiquities Museum for a number of years, this pelike (storage vase) was officially purchased by the Museum in 2003 with funds from the Alumni Association of The University of Queensland.
Vases such as this pelike were often used to contain liquids such as wine, water or oil. This object exemplifies the fine qualities of Apulian red-figure pottery, produced by Greek settlers in Southern Italy, and is attributed to the workshop of the Darius Underworld Painter. The scene possibly depicts preparations for a marriage, however, the winged Hermaphrodite in the centre top suggests it may be drawn from myth.