Northampton Group

As a Northampton group is called a stylistic group of amphorae of the black-figure style.

The vases of the Northampton Group, apart from a single belly amphora, consistently neck amphorae. They are stylistically the northern Ionian vase painting very close. However, they were probably, probably not produced in Ionia, but in Italy in Etruria. They were created around the year 540 BC. It is in the vases of the group a very high quality products. They show rich Ornamentalbemalung and some very interesting images, including a prince with horses and riders crane. You can use the Campana Dinoi close stylistically. The clay used corresponds to a native of Etruria Caeretaner hydriai and has no resemblance to the occurring in the eastern Mediterranean composition.

The vessels of the group are named after the Northampton amphora, one of the most famous pieces of the collection of Spencer Compton, 2nd Marquess of Northampton, who was from 1838 to 1848 president of the Royal Society. From 1820 to 1830 he lived in Italy, where he acquired most of his collection of more than 160 vases, including 52 amphorae of the black-figure style. This period also marked the beginning of the excavations falls in the necropolis of Vulci, from which originate two, now in the State Collection of Antiquities in Munich issued amphorae of the group. Lord Northampton participated in the financing, although the ruins of Vulci whether the Northampton amphora but also from the necropolis, is not known. Eduard Gerhard was the first to describe some of the vases from the Lord Northampton's collection during one of his stays in Rome. After his return to England put these vases in his residence at Castle Ashby, at the beginning of the 20th century they were also shown in exhibitions. In 1980 the collection was auctioned on behalf of his heirs by the auction house Christie's. The Northampton amphora scoring a prize of $ 415,360 and was sold to the Greek shipowner Stavros Niarchos.