- Museum number
- 1865,0103.19
- Description
-
Pottery: red-figured bell-krater (bowl for mixing wine and water).
Designs red on black ground, with accessories of white and yellow. Above the designs, laurel-wreath; below, maeander and crosses; below the handles, palmettes.
(a) Sacrifice of a bull: On the left is Nike to right, with hair in a knot, radiated ampyx, earrings, bracelets, and long girt chiton, on the further side of the bull, whom she leads up to the altar, placing a wreath on his head. A chaplet of beads hangs from the horns of the bull, one of which is represented as gilded.
The altar is oblong, and painted white; it stands on two steps, and has a cornice with egg-moulding, and an upright block at each end. A fire is kindled on it, and on the side are three splashes of blood (?); above it hang two bucrania, to one of which a chaplet of beads is attached. In the centre over the altar stands a beardless male figure to left, perhaps Heracles; he has slight whiskers, a wreath, himation round lower limbs and over left arm, and club in left hand; in right he holds out the sacrificial knife over the bull's head. On the right is a female figure (Hebe ?) to left, with hair gathered in an embroidered opisthosphendone, earrings, necklace, bracelets, and long girt chiton with stripe down the side; she holds out a large phiale in right hand, in which are two branches, and in her left is a white prochoos.
(b) Crowning of a victorious athlete: The athlete is beardless, with himation over left arm and strigil in right hand; he stands to right, holding out a phiale in left hand. Facing him is a female figure, with hair in a knot, ampyx, earrings, necklace, and long girt chiton with stripe down the side, holding out a wreath to him; between them is a stele or meta. On the left is an ephebos to right, with himation over left shoulder and staff in right hand; above is a window.
- Production date
- 370BC-350BC (circa)
- Dimensions
-
Diameter: 45.72 centimetres
-
Height: 43.18 centimetres
- Curator's comments
- BM Cat. Vases
Durand Coll. 322; Beugnot Coll. 30. Murray, Hist. of Gk. Sculpture, ii. p. 23.
For scene a, cf. the group at the north-east corner of the Parthenon frieze, Sculpture 324, Brit. Mus. Cat. of Sculpture, i. pp. 164-5.
The female figure on side b is perhaps a wingless Nike, as on Vases F45 and F84.
- Location
- On display (G73/dc73)
- Acquisition date
- 1865
- Department
- Greek and Roman
- Registration number
- 1865,0103.19
