Greek Daunian terracotta bowl, circa 4th Century B.C.

Bowl with a chamfered rim and a loop vertical handle adorned with tabs. The lip is enhanced by circles painted in black. Beige terracotta, enhanced with black paint.

Daunian pottery was produced mainly in the regional production centres of Ordona and Canosa di Puglia, beginning around 700 BC. The earliest paintings on pottery show vessels with geometric patterns. The pottery was hand-formed, rather than thrown on a potter’s wheel. They consisted of earth-coloured red, brown or black applied with decoration. On them were painted diamonds, triangles, circles, crosses, squares, arches, swastikas and other art forms.