White Ground Phiale
This exquisite ceramic phiale showcases an intricate hunting scene, meticulously rendered in the white-ground technique. Around the central omphalos, spirals are interspersed with crosses, while the rim is adorned with a band of white chevrons with purple dots between, on black. The inner frieze illustrates a dynamic hare hunt: four hounds charge to the right in pursuit of a fleeing hare, which races toward a net. Behind the net crouches a hunter (λινόπτης), depicted nude and beardless, holding a draped cloth over his right arm and a stick in his left hand.
In the outer frieze, a crow (?) and a fox face each other—a motif repeated twice. Additional details include another bird with extended wings, along with a snake, scorpion, and imitation inscriptions.
This phiale is a modern reproduction crafted at the THETIS workshop, inspired by the original black-figure phiale from the British Museum Collection (1873,0820.388), dating to circa 500–470 BC. First produced in May 2013.
Dimensions: H 5 cm; D 19 cm