- Museum number
- 1836,0224.92
- Description
-
Pottery: White-ground oinochoe. Design painted black on pale buff ground, with purple accessories and finely-incised lines. Trefoil mouth, and three-ribbed handle. On the neck, lotus-buds inverted; below, tongue-pattern, alternately black and outlined.
Heracles strangling the Nemean lion: In the centre is Heracles standing to left, with head turned to right; he holds the head of the lion under his left arm, and forces its jaws open with right hand. The lion stands on one hind-leg to right, with head twisted back, and endeavours to free himself by fixing the claws of his right forepaw in Heracles' left arm; Heracles is nude and bearded. On the left is Iolaos to right, bearded, with striped drapery tied round his loins, and sword suspended from a belt, Heracles' club in right hand, left extended as if encouraging him. On the right is Athene moving away and looking back, with long tresses, curls in front, high-crested helmet with peak, and wavy pattern on the crest, long embroidered chiton with wavy border, and himation with purple border, both tied at the waist; in her right hand is her spear pointed downwards, on her left arm her shield; her aegis hangs over her left shoulder.
At the upper and lower junctions of the handle with the vase are female heads in relief, coloured red. Under the handles, palmettes with tendrils and buds.
- Production date
- 520BC-500BC (circa)
- Dimensions
-
Height: 29.21 centimetres
- Curator's comments
- BM Cat. Vases
Ann. dell’ Inst. 1831, p. 153, No. 407α; Arch. Zeit. 1881, p. 36.
- Location
- On display (G14/dc1)
- Exhibition history
-
Exhibited:
1990 20 Oct-9 Dec, Japan, Tokyo, Setagaya Art Museum, Treasures of the British Museum, cat. no.101
1991 5 Jan-20 Feb, Japan, Yamaguchi, Prefectural Museum of Art, Treasures of the British Museum, cat. no.101
1991 9 Mar-7 May, Japan, Osaka, National Museum of Art, Treasures of the British Museum, cat. no.101
- Associated events
- Associated Event: Twelve Labours of Herakles
- Acquisition date
- 1836
- Department
- Greek and Roman
- Registration number
- 1836,0224.92
