stamnos

Pottery: red-figured stamnos: Silenos brought before Midas (back: maenad and satyrs).

Museum number

1851,0416.9

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Pottery: red-figured stamnos: Silenos brought before Midas (back: maenad and satyrs).

© The Trustees of the British Museum

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  • Pottery: red-figured stamnos: Silenos brought before Midas (back: maenad and satyrs).

    Full: Front

  • Pottery: red-figured stamnos. (a) Silenos led before Midas. In the centre is a slender Doric column extending to the full height of the design. Beside this in the foreground Midas is seated to left on a diphros, the legs of which terminate above the seat in ornaments like Ionic capitals; his feet rest on a footstool with elaborately carved legs, and he holds in his right a sceptre; he is bearded, and wears a saccos, in front of which the long ears of an ass project, along chiton and a bordered mantle. Above him his name, ????S, ??da?. Before him stands Silenos, bald over the forehead, his arms bound behind him by cords round the wrists, above him his name, S?????S., S??????. The ends of the cords are held by a bearded Phrygian on the left, who wears a chiton reaching to below the knees, a rough tunic with zigzag patterns and rows of dots, a heavy cloak (?e??a), a cap with side-flaps and fox-tail (a??pe??), and low shoes; in his right he holds a long staff, having a branch near the top and a sharp spur where he grasps it. Beside this figure is inscribed an indistinct inscription; and above the inscription of Seilenos ????S is repeated; perhaps the two words should be combined as ??da? ?a???. On the right a woman, Europa, acting as fan-bearer, stands en face behind Midas with a fan in form of a palmette with a long handle; she wears a long chiton, with a jerkin of skin indicated by circles painted on it, and tied with a broad girdle; her hair is looped up behind with a broad fillet. Over her the name, EYPO?A, ????pa. (b) Maenad and, two Seileni, and Satyr. The Maenad, in long Ionic chiton, himation, and saccos, and holding a long staff upright in her left, stands facing a beardless Satyr, who, from the action of his hands, is conversing with her; on the right is a Seilenos (or bearded satyr) moving his arms with a similar gesture. Late stage of fine style. Purple cord and inscriptions, brown inner markings and shading of alopeke. Eye in developed profile. Below, a band of sets of three maeanders separated by dotted cross squares; above, tongue; round lip and handles, egg pattern. Above and below handles, pattern composed of six palmettes.

    Full: Front