Collection online

amphora

• Object type

  • amphora

• Museum number

  1836,0224.127

• Description

  Black-figured pottery amphora. Under each handle, two patterns of spirals.
  (a) Achilles slaying Penthesilea: Achilles steps to right, bearded, with long tresses, fully armed, high-crested helmet and short striped chiton, and has beaten down the Amazon queen Penthesilea on one knee, and plunges spear into her throat. She has a high-crested helmet with cheek-pieces and serpent in relief, short diapered chiton, over which is a pardalis (leopard skin), sword and shield, and looks back at him, thrusting vainly with spear; a stream of blood gushes from her wound. In front of Achilles is inscribed: ΑΧΙΛΕΥΣ; in front of Penthesilea: ΠΕΝΘΕΣΙΛΥΑ. On the left is inscribed: Έχσηκίας έπτοίησε; on the right: Όνητορίδης καλός.
  (b) Dionysos and Oinopion: Dionysos to left (facing left), bearded, with hair looped up and wreathed with ivy, long white chiton and embroidered himation, holds in left hand vine-branches, and with right gives a cantharos to his son, Oinopion, who stands facing him, nude and beardless, his hair looped up with a myrtle wreath, holding an oinochoe in right hand. In front of Dionysos is inscribed: ΣΟΣΝΟΙΔ (retr.), Διόνυσος; above Oinopion: OINOΠION; behind him: Όνητορίδης καλός, as on (a).

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• Producer name

  • Attributed to: Exekias (painter)
  • Made by: Exekias (potter)

• Culture/period

  • Attic
  • Archaic Greek

• Date

  • 530BC-525BC (circa)

• Production place

  • Made in: Attica
  • (Europe,Greece,Attica (Greece))

• Findspot

  • Excavated/Findspot: Vulci
  • (Europe,Italy,Lazio,Viterbo (province),Vulci)

• Materials

  • pottery

• Ware

  • Black figure

• Technique

  • painted
  • incised

• Dimensions

  • Height: 41 centimetres
  • Width: 29 centimetres
  • Diameter: 18 centimetres (This refers to the mouth of the vase.)

• Inscriptions

  • • Inscription Type

      inscription

• Curator's comments

  BM Cat. Vases

  Wiener Vorlegebl. 1888, pl. vi. 2; Gerhard, A.V. iii. pl. 206, p. 117; Overbeck, Her. Bildw. pl. xxi. 6, p.500; Magazine of Art, viii. pp. 102, 105; Panofka, Namen d. Vasenbildner, pl. ii. p. 19; Baumeister, pp. 1980-1; Schneider, Tro. Sagenkr. p. 137; Dumont and Chaplain, p. 348; Bonner Studien, p. 248; Corey, Amaz. Ant. Fig. p. 61; Rev. Phil. ii. p. 423; Brunn, Künstlergesch., p. 690; Klein, Meistersig., p. 39; Wernicke, Lieblingsn. p. 25; C.I.Gr. 8156. Cf. De Witte, Coll. à l’hôtel Lambert, pi. xiii. 43.For a detailed assessment, see E. A. Mackay, Tradition and Originality, A Study of Exekias (Oxford, 2010) 315-326, pls. 74-76b.

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• Bibliography

  • Old Catalogue 554
  • Vase B210
  • CVA British Museum 4 III H e Pl. 49, 2

• Location

  On display: G13/dc8

• Exhibition history

  Exhibited:

  1990 24 Mar-10 Jun, Australia, Canberra, National Gallery of Australia, Civilization: Ancient Treasures from the British Museum, cat. no.63
  1990 28 Jun-23 Sep, Australia, Melbourne, Museum of Victoria, Civilization: Ancient Treasures from the British Museum, cat. no.63
  1990 20 Oct-9 Dec, Japan, Tokyo, Setagaya Art Museum, Treasures of the British Museum, cat. no.97
  1991 5 Jan-20 Feb, Japan, Yamaguchi, Prefectural Museum of Art, Treasures of the British Museum, cat. no.97
  1991 9 Mar-7 May, Japan, Osaka, National Museum of Art, Treasures of the British Museum, cat. no.97
  2014-2015 11 Dec-8 Feb, Athens, Museum of Cycladic & Ancient Greek Art, Beyond

• Condition

  Somewhat damaged.

• Subjects

  • amazon
  • mythical figure/creature
  • classical mythology
  • classical deity

• Associated names

  • Representation of: Penthesileia
  • Representation of: Oinopion
  • Representation of: Dionysos/Bacchus
  • Representation of: Achilles

• Acquisition name

  • Purchased through: Chevalier Bröndsted
  • Purchased from: Edmé Antoine Durand (sale)

• Acquisition date

  1836

• Department

  Greek & Roman Antiquities

• Registration number

  1836,0224.127