Object Description
Attic Red-Figure Column Krater

Attic red-figure column krater attributed to Myson, decorated on the obverse with a nude komast walking to the right holding up a skyphos in his hand; on the reverse with another nude komast facing left, holding large vessel  in both hands.

Identification Date
21 Nov 2014
Identification Location
Christie’s, New York

Artefact History
Pre-1980

Four images, depicting the same krater, suggest that the antiquities dealer David Holland Swingler was in possession of this artefact, mentioning in the captions that ‘a major East coast collector’ purchased it for $8,000. The images were discovered by Tsirogiannis in the archive confiscated from the antiquities dealer David Holland Swingler.

1980

The krater appears for sale in with Royal-Athena Galleries, New York.

Pre-2004

The krater was purchased by the antiquities collector John Kluge from Royal-Athena Galleries.

08 Jun 2004

The krater appears for sale in the Christie’s June 8, 2004 antiquities auction of the John Kluge (‘The Morven’) collection, in New York, as lot 320.

2005

The krater re-appears in a Royal-Athena Galleries catalogue (Art of the Ancient World, vol. XVI, no. 86).

2014

The krater appears for sale at the Christie’s, December 11, 2014 antiquities auction catalogue.

21 Nov 2014

It was identified by Tsirogiannis on November 21, 2014 together with four more antiquities.

21 Nov 2014

Tsirogiannis immediately notified the Southern District Attorney’s Office in New York and a few days later all five antiquities were withdrawn from the Christie’s auction.

2019

The krater appeared in the website of the Royal-Athena Galleries, with a provenance suggesting that the artefact is consigned by ‘J. Z. collection, Rumson, New Jersey’. Tsirogiannis identifies the krater again.

Artefact Status
October 2020

Royal-Athena Galleries was permanently closed in October 2020 announcing that the remaining artefacts were transferred to ‘Hixenbaugh Ancient Art’.