- Museum number
- 1843,1103.88
- Description
-
Pottery: red-figured amphora type A.
(a) Departure of a warrior. In the centre a young warrior with long hair looped up with fillet, whiskers, helmet on top of crown tilted back, short chiton, cuirass, greaves and shield (device, a snake arching to left), and holding spear upright in right, stands to left facing a bearded archer in Phrygian costume, holding Scythian bow in left and battle-axe (sagaris) in right, who looks down as if in grief: he wears anaxyrides and jerkin of skin indicated by small brown circles, boots reaching above the ankles, and high curved kidaris: at his side hangs a large quiver and bow case. The shield of the warrior is disproportionately large, and is held away to right, so that the front part of his body is visible. On the right a bearded man bald over the wrinkled forehead stands leaning on a staff, closely wrapped in his himation, from which his right hand emerges: with the finger and thumb he holds his nose, looking down with wrinkled forehead in a reflective attitude: he wears a fillet, and his mantle passes high around the back of his head. At his feet lies a large hound of mastiff breed, looking up at him. In the field imitation inscriptions, the letters very clearly written.
(b) Kitharist and two ephebi. In the centre a youth wreathed, with hair falling in wavy locks to shoulders, long Ionic chiton and mantle, walks to right, playing on a kithara held against his left shoulder, with head thrown back: the kithara is supported by a looped ribbon around left wrist; from the lower part hangs a spotted sash. On each side stands a youth wreathed and draped, holding a knotted staff. The one on the right has his mantle passed over the back of his head and his left arm: his left hand beneath it is drawn in spiral form. In the field imitation inscriptions. The kitharist alone of the three is clean-shaven.
Specially characteristic is the form of head throughout, particularly in the case of the old man in a, which is very long in proportion to its width. Purple inscriptions, fillets, sword-belt, dog-collar, wreaths, cord of plectrum and tuning pegs of lyre. Brown inner markings, hair on cheek, and folds of himatia. Eye of archaic type. Outline of hair incised and edged with raised black dots. Each design is enclosed within a border: below, palmettes alternately inverted, black on red: at the sides, a band of palmettes running downwards, and above, upright with petals between; the top and sides are red on black, all the other patterns are black on red. The foot is restored.
- Production date
- 510BC-500BC
- Dimensions
-
Diameter: 400 millimetres
-
Height: 63.50 centimetres
-
Height: 630 millimetres
-
Weight: 10.20 kilograms
- Curator's comments
- BM Cat. Vases
The gesture of the old man, evidently intended to express sad reflection, is not given in Sittl, Die Gebarden der Gr. und Rom. The inscriptions recall those on certain amphorae of Euthymides, see Jahrbuch, 1895, p. 110.
For the hand in spiral form, cf. BM Vases Ε25 and E261.
- Location
- On display (G20a/dc6)
- Exhibition history
-
Exhibited:
2008 1 May-12 Jul, Shanghai, The Ancient Olympic Games
2008 2 Aug-31 Sep, Hong Kong, The Ancient Olympic Games
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 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, Australia, Bendigo Art Gallery, The Body Beautiful in Greek Art and Thought
2015 26 Mar-5 Jul, The British Museum, Defining Beauty: the body in ancient Greek art
- Acquisition date
- 1843
- Department
- Greek and Roman
- Registration number
- 1843,1103.88
