Boston Ready Painter
A Pair of South Italian Oinochoai

Public Domain

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AttributionAttributed to Boston Ready Painter(Campanian, active c. 340–320 BCE)Campanian, active c. 340–320 BCE

CultureSouth Italian (Campanian)

Titles

A Pair of South Italian Oinochoai

Date340–320 BC

MediumCeramic

DimensionsOverall (each): 12 × 6 1/2 × 6 1/2 in. (30.5 × 16.5 × 16.5 cm)

Credit LineBequest of Frances Marzio

Object number2024.1227.1,.2

Not on view

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Department

Antiquities

Object Type

VESSELS

ProvenanceJean-Gabriel Eynard, Geneva, c. 1850-1920 [1].
Mikro Gottfried Roš, Baden, Switzerland, by 1942-1963 [2];
[Galerie Fischer, Luzern, Switzerland, December 5, 1963, lot 421] [3].
Frederick and Jan Mayer, Denver, by July 2004 [4];
[Arielle Kozloff, Cleveland, July 7, 2004] [5];
Acquired by Frances Marzio, Houston, from the previous July 2004-2024 [6];
By bequest, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 2024-Present

[1] Label on underside of foot of each vase written in French states that they are from Palais Eynard, Geneva, 1920 and also indicates they are from Kyme (Cumae), Campania, Italy. A daguerreotype by Jean-Gabriel Eynard (1775-1863) dated to around 1850, which is now at the Getty (84.XT.255.55), includes these two vases. An intermediary collection is indicated by a handwritten note found inside, but the name is not clear.
[2] The pair of oinochoai were published in an exhibition catalog in 1942. They also are referenced as formerly the Roš Collection in Baden by A. Trendall (1967), who probably saw them (or photographs of them) before they were sold through Galerie Fischer in 1963. The forward of the Galerie Fischer auction catalogue, written by Karl Schefold, explains that much of the auction comes from his estate, portions of which had been exhibited in Switzerland in 1942 as well as in Basel in 1960. A newspaper clipping (dated February 6, 1930) with its text in German was placed inside TR:359-2023.1. The article specifically discusses the role of Jean-Gabriel Eynard in the Greek war of independence. A handwritten annotation on the newspaper clipping, also in German, notes that Prof. M. Roš purchased 3 vases of the Eynard collection from a Madame Pi(unclear) of Roch(unclear), who got it from Eynard. No further details are known regarding this intermediary collection at this time.
[3] Sold as a pair with noted citation to the publication by Trendall (1967) as well as a reference to a letter from H.R.W. Smith of the University of California dated 17 September 1963 regarding the vases. Unclear if it was purchased by the Mayers at this time or later.
[4] Loaned to the MFAH in 2004 as TR:1060-2004.1-.2 and then sold as a pair; the invoice for the objects dates July 7, 2004 (Object File). The invoice lists the provenance as known to the Mayers including both the Palais Eynard and Roš collections, as well as an additional entry: Private Collection, Zurich. This entry is placed between the Roš and Mayer collections, but no further details are known at this time.
[5] Arielle Kozloff acted as an intermediary for the sale between Frederick and Jan Mayer and Frances Marzio according to records in the MFAH Archives.
[6] Offered by the estate of Frances Marzio (1947-2022) to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston in 2023.
Exhibition History"Griechische und roemische Kunst", Kunsthalle Bern, June 12–August 30, 1942.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks

A large white square label with diagonal cuts on the corners is on the base of each vessel with matching information. Each features the same text written in a fine handwriting: “Style italiote / fin du IV siècle av.J.C. / [horizontal black line] / Oinochoe / de / Kyme – Campanie / [horizontal black line] / Palais Eynard/ 500. [at left] Gèneve [at right] / 1920. [at right]”. The “500” on the label underneath may indicate the price of the pieces in a 1920 sale. Another label on the underside of TR:359-2023.1 appears later in date and its meaning is unclear (“VIII /” in red and “4/2” in black).

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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