The fourth CVA fascicule of the Greek vases in the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Skulpturensammlung, in Dresden by D.-v.K. deals with the 90 entire and fragmentary Geometric and Corinthian pots in the museum's collection. A few vases have already appeared in past publications, yet most remained insufficiently documented or were still unpublished. D.-v.K. presents a short history of the collection in the preface. The dating and attribution of specific vases to individual hands and/or workshops follows the seminal work of J.N. Coldstream for the Geometric vases and that of H. Payne, D.A. Amyx and C.W. Neeft for the Corinthian pieces. The format is clear and rational, as we would expect from D.-v.K., the author of the tenth CVA fascicule of the Geometric vases in the Berlin Antikensammlung.

This fascicule is composed of a table of contents, preface, abbreviations and catalogue, followed by six indexes and concordances of inventory numbers, of provenance, of painters and workshops, of decorative motifs and figurative scenes, of graffiti and dipinti on vases. The text follows the well-established format of the CVA series: accession number, provenance (where available), measurements, bibliography and condition, description of the shape and decoration, then date. Each entry presents a detailed study, provided with numerous parallels and bibliographical references. The volume is well illustrated with profile drawings presented in the 21 Beilagen, followed by 49 colour plates of excellent quality. Nine more drawings with iconographical details of some selected pieces and four black-and-white photos of a single krater that are added in the text are particularly helpful.

A single Late Protogeometric skyphos-krater from Athens (Dr. 17, ZV 1465, pl. 1.1–4) and an Early Geometric small squat oinochoe (Dr. 25, ZV 1485, pl. 1.5–7) represent the earliest vases in the collection. The most recent publication of the Early Iron Age material from the Agora excavations may now be added to the bibliographical references for both vases (J.K. Papadopoulos and E.L. Smithson, The Athenian Agora XXXVI. The Early Iron Age: the Cemeteries [2017]). The Geometric style of Attica is represented by nineteen vases. Among the ten vases that are said to have been acquired in Lavrion, the neck-handled amphora ZV 1820 (pls 6.5–6, 7.1–4) has been assigned to the Workshop of the Hooked Swastikas. Furthermore, the pedestaled pyxis-krater ZV 1995 (pls 5.1–4, 6.1–4) seems to display the close connections that shaped the Attic and Cycladic pottery styles of the eighth century bc. A recent article by G. Rocco examines the origins and development of this class of pottery in Attica and the Cyclades (G. Rocco, ‘Il cratere “ovoide” in Attica, tra conservatorismo e innovazione’, in L. Cappuccini et al. [edd.], Fragmenta Mediterranea. Contatti, tradizioni e innovazioni in Grecia, Magna Grecia, Etruria e Roma [2017], pp. 69–90). There are only two vases with provenance information; the horse-pyxis ZV 1774 (pls 3.4–6, 4.1–4) is said to have been found at the necropolis of Kamariza in the area of Thorikos. The other is the small pitcher ZV 1635 (pls 8–9.1–3) from Menidi that has been assigned to the Workshop of the Hirschfeld Painter. The abbreviated version of the prothesis scene is nicely adapted to the limited space around the neck of the pitcher, thus placing it among the earliest attempts to adapt funerary iconography to vessels much smaller in size. The two tankards of the collection (ZV 1816, pl. 10.1–3 and ZV 1815, pl. 10.4–6) are assigned by D.-v.K. to the close associates of the Workshop of Athens 706, based on a detailed stylistic analysis. For the high-rimmed bowls on high fenestrated pedestals in the Attic repertory, see also G. Rocco, ‘Forme vascolari e pratiche rituali in Attica tra la fine dell'VIII ed il VII secolo a.C.: il caso dei krateriskoi su altopiede’, AntK 60 (2017), 3–18.

Boeotian products of the Geometric period are represented by four vases and a small pyxis lid. The kantharos ZV 1699 (pl. 13) is the only one with an interesting figured composition, showing women dancing to the accompaniment of a male musician on one side and what seems like a male athletic competition on the other. The figured style of the kantharos owes much to the Attic style of the Dipylon Workshop and the Hirschfeld Painter and his Workshop, although integrated into the local idiom of Boeotia. The Corinthian material includes a single Late Geometric kantharos (ZV 837, pl. 15.1–4) of the Thapsos Class.

The Protocorinthian style is represented by ten aryballoi, two small alabastra and a small lid, presumably from a concave small pyxis. Two mouth-plates (pl. 17.5–6 and 9–10) are detached from their pointed aryballoi to which they were previously joined and are presented as separate entries. The pointed aryballos ZV 1108 (pl. 16.11–19) is the only vessel of this group that shows an interesting figured scene, also illustrated in the line drawing of Abbildung 2. The Corinthian material is far more important in number and variety; a considerable range of shapes and decorations are included. The painter-attribution proves a significant aid for making the stylistic distinctions: the discussion goes by shape rather than by date. Among the small Middle Corinthian aryballoi, there are four warrior-aryballoi, decorated with continuous friezes showing warriors holding round shields. The mouth-plate Dr. 95a (pl. 20.8–10), erroneously attached to one of the aryballoi, was removed during the most recent conservation works and is presented here as an individual entry. The decoration of the vertical strap with a female head in profile view is illustrated in the line drawing of Abbildung 4. Four larger versions of spherical aryballoi with flat bases are assigned to painters of the Middle and Late Corinthian styles, decorated with birds, ferocious animals and fantastic creatures. A single Middle Corinthian ring-aryballos is assigned to the Blaricum Painter (pl. 20.12–14). The range of Corinthian oil vases is complemented by eight alabastra, of various sizes. Line drawings accompany the description of the larger pieces as shown in Abbildung 7–9.

The Middle Corinthian broad-bottomed oinochoe ZV 2947 (pls 30–1) has an interesting figured scene, placed within the animal frieze of the body. Two standing female figures are shown before a seated one, framed by two Sirens on each side. D.-v.K. assigns the oinochoe to the Dodwell Painter, after a detailed analysis of the shape and decoration. In view of the absence of any exact parallels for the groups of the three figures, D.-v.K. suggests an interpretation of the scene as part of a ceremony or festival. Pyxides in the Dresden Staatliche Kunstsammlungen belong to all types in the Corinthian repertory, with concave sides, with straighter sides (powder-pyxides) and with a rounded profile. Decoration includes the popular animal friezes shown around the body, while on the pyxis Dr. 108 (ZV 1110, pls 33.9–11 and 35) an animal frieze is placed on the lid, and a second uncommon one, showing animals in an arbitrary sequence with small birds in between, is shown around the body. The single tripod pyxis of the collection is decorated with floral ornaments on the sides and the lid (pl. 36.1–3). All three exaleiptra in the Dresden Staatliche Kunstsammlungen belong to the so-called White Style, plainly decorated with a single reflex handle and dated to the second quarter of the sixth century bc (pl. 37). A small lidded lekanis is among the latest pieces in the collection, dated to the mid-fifth century bc (pl. 36.10–13). The three large Middle Corinthian kotylai illustrated on plates 38–40 belong to the most characteristic type with a linear rim pattern, base rays and animals around the body. One more Late Corinthian kotyle belongs to this same type (pl. 41.4–6), while a single polychrome kotyle is regrettably largely worn (pl. 41.7). An unusual feeding bottle with two handles placed vertically and horizontally is equipped with some kind of a strainer at the centre of the top surface (pl. 41.8, 10–11).

The column-krater, recognised as ‘Corinthian’ already in antiquity is represented by two examples. The earliest of the two, the unattributed Middle Corinthian krater (Dr. 116, pls 42–3, 44.1–2) combines horse riding and a combat scene. Both themes were frequently shown on Middle and Late Corinthian kraters. Horse riding is equally shown on the Late Corinthian column-krater ZV 1604 (pls 45–6) assigned to the Andromeda Group. Horse riders are combined with dancing figures that occupy the other side of the krater. Painted inscriptions may be seen next to each figure on both sides of the krater. For a recent detailed analysis of the Brussels amphora R 248, showing comparable dancing figures on both its sides, see D. Williams and N. Massar, ‘Fun and Games at the Symposium: a Corinthian thauma in Brussels’, in V. Vlachou and A. Gadolou (edd.), Terpsis. Studies in Mediterranean Archaeology in Honour of Nota Kourou (2017), pp. 229–45. One more vase, a red-figure hydria Dr. 208 (pls 47–8), is also attributed to the Andromeda Group; it is decorated with horse riders occupying the largest part of the surface. All three vases are accompanied by illustrations showing details of the decoration and thus further strengthening the attribution of the last two vessels to the Andromeda Group.

The catalogue is complemented by two pointed aryballoi, two alabastra and a pyxis with straight sides, all in the collection of the Dresden Kunstgewerbemuseum (pl. 49). They all date to the second half of the seventh century bc except for the pyxis box, which is from the fifth century bc. One of the small alabastra described as of transitional style is nicely decorated with a vertically placed serpent between the backs of the two roaring lions.

In summary, the fourth Dresden fascicule of the CVA offers the fullest possible information on each piece in the collection. With her experience in dealing with the high standards required of a CVA fascicule and her knowledge of the Geometric and Corinthian pottery, D.-v.K. has produced an excellent example in the series: a worthwhile addition to any library on early Greek vases.