amphora
- Museum number
- 1847,0716.1
- Description
-
Pottery: black-figured amphora. Designs black on red panels, with borders of lotus-buds along the top; accessories of white and purple.
(a) Four male figures stung by bees, all nude and bearded; they are Laios, Keleos, Kerberos, and Aigolios, who plundered from the hives the honey on which the infant Zeus was nourished. The one on the left tries to drive off with a branch the bees which are stinging him on the knees, feet, and back; his left foot is drawn up in agony. The next to right is squatting down, full face, raising left hand to his head; bees are stinging him on the head, right arm, left knee and foot, and penis. The next, with a branch, is endeavouring to drive off bees which are stinging him in the breast and left arm. The last figure is crouching down to right, holding in his hands the disk-shaped stone on which one of the hives had been placed; he is being stung on the head, breast, left knee and penis. In the field are numerous other bees flying about.
(b) Satyrs and Maenads: In the centre is a Maenad to left, dancing, with right arm raised, and another to right on each side, dancing, the one on right looking back. All have long hair, fillets, and long embroidered chitons with diploidia. On either side are two Satyrs facing them; of the two on the left, the greater part is lost.
- Production date
- 540BC (circa)
- Dimensions
-
Height: 36.83 centimetres
- Curator's comments
- The insects are identified as bees in older catalogues (from which the description provided here derives) but they may in fact be wasps or hornets (or drawn to resemble the fiercer insects rather than actually represent them as such).
- Location
- Not on display
- Condition
- Large parts of the reverse missing.
- Acquisition date
- 1847
- Department
- Greek and Roman
- Registration number
- 1847,0716.1
