pelike
- Museum number
- 1836,0224.28
- Description
-
Pottery: red-figured pelike.
(a) Telephos withholding the infant Orestes from Agamemnon. Upon an altar on the right with Ionic capital Telephos is seated in three-quarter face, looking to the left; he is bearded and wreathed, and wears a swordbelt and a mantle over his shoulders; he sits in a crouching attitude, with his right knee raised and bent so that the foot rests upon his left knee; around the left thigh is a white bandage covering his wound, and bound with crossed cords. With his right hand he holds upright a short spear, the butt resting on the altar; and with his left arm he holds against his body the infant Orestes, represented as a fully developed boy of very diminutive size. Orestes extends his right arm as if appealing for aid to Agamemnon, a bearded man wearing a fillet, and a mantle shawl-fashion over his arm, who advances rapidly on the left, carrying a spear over his right shoulder and raising his left hand as if addressing Telephos. Both spears overlap the upper border.
(b) Bearded satyr and Nymph. On the right a satyr, wreathed and bald on the crown, stands opposite the Nymph, raising his right hand with forefinger extended towards her chin. She is closely draped in long chiton and himation, and her hair is looped up with a fillet, the ends of which terminate in trefoils.
On the bottom of the foot an incised character.
Large style. Purple (now nearly white) wreaths and fillet in b. No brown inner markings. The bandage of Telephos is drawn in a thick reddish white body colour, with crossed lines of black glaze laid upon it. Eye in profile, with eyelashes. Below and above each side, a strip of maeander. Around the lower insertion of each handle, a band of egg pattern.
- Production date
- 450BC (circa)
- Dimensions
-
Height: 33.02 centimetres
- Curator's comments
- BM Cat. Vases
Jahn, Arch. Aufs. pl. 2, p. 173; Overbeck, Her. Bildw. pl. xiii, 9 (a alone).
For the incised character, see Old Cat. pl. Β724.
- Location
- On display (G20a/dc37)
- Acquisition date
- 1836
- Department
- Greek and Roman
- Registration number
- 1836,0224.28
