bell krater
- Museum number
- 1772,0320.96
- Description
-
Pottery: red-figured bell-krater (wine-bowl).
Designs red on black ground, with white accessories. Above the designs, laurel-wreath; below, maeander alternating with chequers and crosses; below the handles, palmettes.
(a) Purification of Orestes at Delphi: On the left is an Ionic column, indicating the temple, and by it a bucranion with wreath, from which hangs a sacrificial vitta. Orestes to left, beardless, with white pilos at back of neck, and bordered chlamys over left arm, kneels on left knee at the base of the omphalos, clinging to it with left arm, with sword extended in right hand as if to ward off the Furies, and sheath in left; the omphalos is covered with the agrenon. Behind Orestes stands Apollo with two laurel-leaves in right hand, with which he sprinkles the blood over him; he is beardless, with hair in a knot, bordered chlamys and laurel-branch over left arm, in left hand a phiale. On the altar are two large acanthus-leaves; it bears an imitation inscription, apparently modern.
(b) Two ephebi conversing, each with staff and himation over left shoulder; between them, a Doric column.
- Production date
- 380BC-360BC (circa)
- Dimensions
-
Diameter: 34.29 centimetres
-
Height: 33 centimetres
-
Height: 33.02 centimetres
-
Weight: 2.60 kilograms
-
Width: 34.50 millimetres
- Curator's comments
- BM Cat. Vases
The scene is possibly inspired by Aeschylus' tragedy The Eumenides.
Ann. dell’ Inst. 1847, p;. X; Gerhard, Arch. Zeit. 1860, pl. 137, p. 49; Overbeck, Her. Bildw. pl. 29, 12, p. 717; id., Kunstmyth. (Apollo), p. 335. Cf. Feuerbach in Tübinger Kunstblatt, 1841, p. 358; Müller, Hist. of the Doric Race, i. p. 351, note; Rathgeber in Ersch and Gruber's Allgem. Encyclop. pt. iii. vol. v. p. 119.
Similar vase, Mon. dell’ Inst. iv. pl. 48; for the Delphic omphalos, see J.H.S., ix. p. 296 ff.
- Location
- On display (G73/dc41)
- Acquisition date
- 1772
- Department
- Greek and Roman
- Registration number
- 1772,0320.96
