neck-amphora
- Museum number
- 1836,0224.90
- Description
-
Pottery: red-figured neck-amphora.
(a) Warrior moving to left, looking back, spear carried in right over shoulder, shield (device, bull in silhouette charging on thin black ground-line to left) on left arm covering body. He is beardless, and has wavy hair falling on shoulders and in front of ear, short chiton, and chlamys (?). His helmet has nasal, cheek-pieces raised and decorated with a lizard in black silhouette.
(b) A Barbarian warrior moving to right, looking back. He has small features and a short beard; he wears a short tied chiton, with a skin fastened round his neck and protecting his left arm, and a sort of helmet of skin with high spherical crown and flat rim all round. In his right he carries two spears, and he wears shoes.
Brilliant varnish and colour. Fine graceful style. Light brown used for hair, beard, markings on crest of helmet, and markings on skin and cap in b. Sketch marks very plain. The upper surface of the lip is left red.
- Production date
- 460BC-450BC
- Dimensions
-
Height: 31.75 centimetres
- Curator's comments
- BM Cat. Vases
Apparently by the same hand as Ε285. The peculiar treatment of the helmet is identical in both.
For the detail in a, cf. BM Vase Ε285a, and Robert, Scenen der Ilias, pl. I.
A similar figure to that in b, armed with a sling, is given in Panofka, Eigenn. mit κάλος, i, 13 a. The Peltasts (spear-throwers) were first organised as a fighting force under Iphicrates about B.C. 393, and therefore much later than the period of this vase. He supplied them with shoes. For skin used as shields, cf. Hartwig, Meistersch. pl. lvii, and p. 518.
- Location
- On display (G20a/dc45)
- Acquisition date
- 1836
- Department
- Greek and Roman
- Registration number
- 1836,0224.90
