- Museum number
- 1849,0620.5
- Description
-
Pottery: black-figured olpe (jug). Grooved handle. Design in black on a red panel, with lotus and honeysuckle pattern along the top; accessories of white and purple.
Perseus slaying Medusa: On the left is Perseus to right, looking back, beardless, with petasos, short embroidered chiton, over which is the skin of a deer, endromides, and the kibisis (sack) slung at his back; he grasps Medusa round the neck with left hand, and with right plunges his sword into her neck in front. Medusa moves away to right, in the archaic running attitude, with face turned to the front, of the usual Gorgon type, with short curls in front and protruding tusks and tongue; on the lower lip is a fringe of hair, and two snakes rise from her head on either side; she has a short purple chiton, over which is a stippled skin, with two snakes knotted round the waist, their heads confronted; also endromides, and two pairs of wings, outspread, the upper ones recurved. On the right is Hermes to left, bearded, with petasos, short embroidered chiton, fringed chlamys, endromides, and caduceus in left hand. Down the left side of the panel, an inscription.
- Production date
- 550BC-530BC (circa)
- Dimensions
-
Height: 25.50 centimetres
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Weight: 583 grammes
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Width: 14.50 centimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- BM Cat. Vases
Wiener Voregebl. 1889, pl. 4, Ia ,Ib; Magazine of Art 1885, p. 503; Arch. Zeit.1881, p. 30, n. 3; Rev. Phil. ii. p. 391; Brunn, Küstlergesch. ii. p. 656; Klein, Meistersig. p. 44, no. 4; J.H.S. vi. p. 282; C.I.Gr. 8126.
For the figures of Perseus and Medusa, cf. the archaic Selinus metope, Benndorf, Metopen von Selinunt pl. 1.
- Location
- On display (G13/dc8)
- Exhibition history
-
Exhibited:
1990 20 Oct-9 Dec, Japan, Tokyo, Setagaya Art Museum, Treasures of the British Museum, cat. no.96
1991 5 Jan-20 Feb, Japan, Yamaguchi, Prefectural Museum of Art, Treasures of the British Museum, cat. no.96
1991 9 Mar-7 May, Japan, Osaka, National Museum of Art, Treasures of the British Museum, cat. no.96
2008 13 May-21 Sep, Frankfurt, Städtische Galerie Liebieghaus, 'Olympic Vagaries: The Myth of Athena, Marsyas and Apollo'
- Condition
- Badly damaged.
- Associated events
- Associated Event: Perseus kills Medusa
- Acquisition date
- 1849
- Department
- Greek and Roman
- Registration number
- 1849,0620.5