This exquisite painted ceramic phiale, attributed to the 3rd century BC, is a brilliant example of Greek pottery from southern Italy, specifically from the city of Canosa (modern-day Canosa di Puglia) in the Apulia region. It is a ceremonial piece in the form of a flat bowl, 45 cm in diameter and 16.5 cm high, decorated with a rich figurative scene in its central tondo and a profusion of floral motifs in the outer field. The pottery still retains visible traces of polychromy, a distinctive feature of Canosa pottery, renowned for its generous use of post-firing paint, and which was typically intended for funerary contexts. The central motif of the composition depicts a mythological scene with strong symbolic meaning: a winged figure—probably Eros—approaches a seated woman in a majestic pose. The woman, enveloped in a himation or tunic of light tones and seated upon an architectural structure or throne, extends her hand toward the winged god. This gesture can be interpreted as an allusion to the marriage ritual, to sacred love, or even as a psychopomp scene—that is, the escorting of the soul to the afterlife—given the funerary function of these pieces. This type of decoration was not achieved using the traditional red-figure or black-figure technique, but rather through a freehand painting technique on the already fired surface, making these pieces examples akin to Hellenistic mural or fresco painting. This vase belongs to the rich corpus of ceramics from Late Apulia, one of the most fertile regions for ceramic art in southern Italy during the Hellenistic period, which masterfully synthesized the Greek heritage with the funerary practices of the Italic populations. Other similar works are held in collections such as the National Archaeological Museum of Taranto and the J. Paul Getty Museum, where Canossa is recognized as one of the most sophisticated centers of post-classical ceramic art. It is interesting to compare this piece with the so-called "pictorial plates of Centuripe" in Sicily, although the technique and style differ, as those were developed with a more sculptural than narrative approach. In short, this phiale from Canosa is a vibrant testament to the cultural syncretism of Hellenistic southern Italy, a work that combines technical delicacy, symbolic meaning, and a profound connection to ritual and funerary practices, in an era when art served both aesthetic enjoyment and the spiritual journey of humankind. Conditions: Good condition, small repairs. Acquired from a German private collection, G.B in the 80's. -The piece includes an authenticity certificate as well as TL test. The Seller can prove that the lot was obtained legally. Important information. The seller guarantees that he is entitled to ship this lot. The seller will take care that any necessary permits will be arranged, this process can take between 2 and 4 weeks. IMPORTANT: Due to the new laws on the export of archaeological pieces, we have decided to NO LONGER sell outside the European territory for the following countries: SWITZERLAND & UNITED STATES of AMERICA. For other destinations out of European territory: all our items will be shipped after obtaining a definitive LICENSE EXPORTATION by the Ministry of Culture of Spain. We inform our clients that it may take between 4-8 weeks. According to Spanish legislation, items sent outside the European Union are subjected to export taxes. The taxes will be added to the invoice, at the buyer's expense. These export fees are fixed on the final auction price, and the tax rate is not applied directly to the total value of the item to be exported, but rather the different percentages by sections are applied to it: Up to 6,000 euros: 5%. / From 6.001 to 60.000 euros: 10 %. Please note that for far destination (Asia, middle east etc.. ), there will be an additional cost for the shipping.