- Museum number
- 1772,0320.154
- Description
-
Attic Red-figured bell-krater.
Designs red on black ground, with white accessories. Above the designs, laurel-wreath; below, maeander and crosses; below the handles, palmettes.
(a) Erastes-scene: On the left is a youth, ityphallic, seated on a chair to right, with radiated fillet and drapery under him, left arm placed behind his head; his feet rest on a footstool. A more youthful figure, with radiated fillet, the ends of which hang down, climbs on to the chair, on which his left foot is placed, with the aid of a staff in his left hand. On the right is a Doric column, beyond which a bearded middle-aged man stands looking on, with a white fillet, the ends of which hang down, himation over left shoulder, and right hand on knee; behind him is a doorway, with a half-door over which a youth in a himation is leaning, looking to left. Within is seen the upper part of the door in perspective, turned back on its hinge; on both parts are broad black bands studded with large white nails.
(b) Three ephebi conversing, wearing fillets and wrapped in himatia; the central figure stands to right, and the one on the right extends right hand as if speaking. Behind the central figure hangs an aryballos.
- Production date
- 420BC (circa)
- Dimensions
-
Diameter: 32.39 centimetres
-
Diameter: 310 millimetres
-
Height: 27.94 centimetres
-
Height: 280 millimetres
-
Weight: 2 kilograms (approx)
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Width: 325 millimetres (including handles)
- Curator's comments
-
For a discussion of this vase, along with a detailed modern survey of sex scenes on Attic vases and other media, see Parker 2015, 114 no. 46 and passim (with earlier refs).
Bibliography:
Parker H. 2015, Vaseworld. Depiction and description of sex at Athens, in: R. Blondell and K. Ormand (eds), Ancient sex. New essays (Columbas: The Ohio State University Press), 23-142.
-
BM Cat. Vases
D'Hancarville, ii. pl. 32; Passeri, Pict. Etr. iii. pl. 201.
- Location
- On display (G20a/dc24)
- Exhibition history
-
Exhibited:
2009, 2 Apr-13 Oct, Alicante, The Body Beautiful in Ancient Greek Art and Thought
2010, 30 Apr-30 Aug, Seoul, National Museum of Korea, The Body Beautiful in Ancient Greek Art and Thought
2010-2011, 15 Oct-07 Feb, Taipei, The National Palace Museum, The Body Beautiful in Ancient Greek Art and Thought
2010-2011, 11 Mar-12 Jun, Kobe City Museum, The Body Beautiful in Ancient Greek Art and Thought
2011, 4 Jul-25 Sep, Tokyo, The National Museum of Western Art, The Body Beautiful in Ancient Greek Art and Thought
2011-2012, 25 Oct-12 Feb, Mexico City, National Anthropological Museum, The Body Beautiful in Ancient Greek Art and Thought
2012-2013, 6 Oct-6 Jan, Portland Art Museum, The Body Beautiful in Ancient Greek Art and Thought
2013, 6 May–6 Oct, Dallas Museum of Art, The Body Beautiful in Ancient Greek Art and Thought
2014, 21 Feb-9 Jun, Fondation Pierre Gianadda, The Body Beautiful in Ancient Greek Art and Thought
2014, 2 Aug –9 Nov, Bendigo Art Gallery, Victoria, Australia, The Body Beautiful in Greek Art and Thought
2015, 26 Mar-5 Jul, The British Museum, Defining Beauty:the body in ancient Greek art.
- Condition
- Repaired.
- Department
- Greek and Roman
- Registration number
- 1772,0320.154
