C. 4th century AD

A very interesting and RARE  brown/red coloured jug of the “drunken woman” holding wine pitcher on her lap. She is portrayed as an aged woman wearing a kerchif on her head and a chiton, sitting down on the ground, gawking as she screams to the sky, clutching a large wine jug which is a symbol of Dionysus and her devotion to him. Dionysus is the God of wine, vegetation and patron god of the drama.

In Greek Mythology “The Old Drunken Woman”, Maronide is named after the priest in “The Odyssey” Maron, who had given Ulysses the strong wine to get Polyphemus to sleep. A marble sculpture of the “The Old Drunken Woman”, is on display in Rome’s Capitoline Museums.

TL test from Oxford Authentication included.

A stunning piece with good deep linear incised detail. Cleaned, conserved and waxed. It is in very good order and VERY RARE.

Ref: Boston, Museum of Fine Arts. Credits: Barbara McManus, 2002 (3rd century example).

North African origin

Provenance: Ex Brian North Lee Collection 1980’s

Size: 165mm tall