Trascrizione
In the 1970s these marbles were found in a chamber tomb in Ausculum. Incredibly they played a key role in international trafficking until their definitive return to Italy in 2005–6.
On close examination, the table pedestal (called a trapezophoros in Greek) reveals colours applied by a craftsman in the 4th century BC on marble brought from the Greek islands for the tomb furnishings of an aristocratic Dàunia family.
Barely noticeable, on the large krater there are ancient traces of ivy leaves, visible in negative. It supported a precious gold crown, a symbol of wealth and power.
The doe and the griffins of the pedestal are decorated in yellow, blue, pink, green.
But there is a section where the colour is far more visible: on the inner surface of the ritual water basin, called a podaniptèr in Greek. The scene depicts the mythical episode of the Nereids carrying the weapons forged by Èphesus at the request of Teti for his son Achilles.
The anonymous artist chose many colours: red, purple, blue, pink, white, beige, yellow.