Greek Terracotta Situla, 350 BCE

This terracotta bucket dates back to the Classical Period of Greek history and is attributed to Lycurgus (the painter, not the lawmaker of the same name).  Lycurgus lived in Apulia in southern Italy, which was then a Greek colony, and painted in what is known as the Ornate style.  He was known for his ability to create spatial depth in his painting.
More than half of extant South Italian vases come from Apulia (modern Puglia), the “heel” of Italy. The demand became so great among the native peoples of the region that by the mid-fourth century B.C., satellite workshops were established in Italic communities to the north. A distinctive shape of Apulia is the knob-handled patera, a low-footed, shallow dish with two handles rising from the rim (pictured on the vase). The handles and rim are elaborated with mushroom-shaped knobs.   Apulia is also distinguished by its production of monumental shapes, including the krater (also pictured), the amphora, and the loutrophoros. These vases were primarily funerary in function. They are decorated with scenes of mourners at tombs and elaborate, multifigured mythological tableaux,