Primary Description:
The Daphne Ewer. Translucent and opaque white glass; free-blown, cold-painted and gilded. Ovoid body with ring base of same gather, slightly concave at center, cylindrical neck flaring to wide rim; angled broad strap handle with thumb piece, dormed by pinching handle applied to rim and shoulder. Decoration: on the body a frieze with the representation of Apollo and Daphne, framed at bottom and shoulder by two bands, each with dark red rings enclosing narrower grey rings and a golden band at center, the latter decorated with a row of touching volutes in grey. The upper band also frames, together with a third at bottom of neck, a second narrow frieze, bearing in Greek golden letters with grey contours the inscription: "H-XAPIC", the letters alternating with red quatrefoils and between C and H there is a wheel-like rosette framed by 2 grey volute-like motifs; on the base a red rosette, enclosing a concentric ring of grey dots and framed by another similar one. The scene around the body shows Apollo (Phoebus in Greek letters) running to the right in peruse of Daphne who is being transformed to a tree as Apollo is trying to touch her; on the right is Ladon, her father, sitting on a rock; between him and Apollo is a flying Eros (Pathos in Greek letters) following the latter. The figures are in gold with gray contours, in-between are rosettes with grey laurel branches.