G89

Greek black glazed pottery kantharos wine cup

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A black glazed pottery kantharos cup with a wide body and two ring handles surmounted by horizontal thumb-spurs.

Greek, 5th Century BC

General surface wear and a small hole on the lower body to one side

Size: 5.2 x 9.7 cms (including handles).

Ex. collection: Livingston Ludlow Biddle (USA, 1877-1959). Acquired in 1903 while touring the Mediterranean on board Alcedo, at the time the largest private yacht in the world belonging to his uncle George Drexel. Biddle was descended from a wealthy Philadelphia banking family and devoted much of his time to the arts, his son helped create the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

The glamorous steam and sailing yacht Alcedo was built in Glasgow in 1895, she was 300 foot long and required 100 crew to operate. She was enlisted into the US Navy in 1917 and became the first American ship to be sunk by enemy action during World War I with the loss of 21 souls.