- Museum number
- 1865,0103.52
- Description
-
Pottery: red-figured bell krater.
(a) Hermes confiding the infant Dionysos to the Nymphs. Hermes, beardless, with fillet, petasos knotted under his chin, chlamys, winged endromides, caduceus in his left hand, is seated on a rock to right, looking down at the infant Dionysos, whom he holds by the body in both his hands. Above them their names are inscribed, ΗΡΜΕΣ, 'Έρμης, ΔΙΩΝΥΣΣ, Διόνυσος. The infant, whose body faces Hermes, turns round to right and extends both its arms towards a Nymph, who stands with left hand on her hip, and leaning with the butt-end of her thyrsos on the rock; her right foot is drawn back and rests on the toes: her hair is looped up, and she wears a woollen fillet and an ivy-wreath; above her, her name, MAINAΣ, Μαîνας. On the left a second Nymph, Tethys (?), stands, leaning forward with left foot on a high rectangular base, raising her left hand as if beckoning to the child; along her right arm she has a long staff terminating in two forked ivy-branches. Her head and left shoulder are wanting. Both the Nymphs wear an Ionic chiton and a mantle. Above Tethys, her name, …ΘΥΣ, Tή]θυς. The thyrsos of the other Nymph has an ivy-shoot springing upwards from near the butt.
(b) Jumper and ephebi. Between two draped ephebi, each with a long staff or rod, a nude athlete, holding a jumping-weight (halter) in each hand, prepares to jump to left. The figure on left wears a fillet with straight piece over the forehead. This figure is much restored.
Large style. Purple inscriptions, ivy-leaves, cord of petasos, fillet in b. Brown inner markings, hair of Dionysos, and sandals of Hermes. Below, a continuous band of maeander; above, on a moulding a band of back-to-back palmettes, oblique; round the handles, egg pattern.
- Production date
- 470BC-450BC (circa)
- Dimensions
-
Diameter: 41.25 centimetres
-
Height: 41.91 centimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- BM Cat. Vases
Cab. Pourtales, pl. 27, p. 91; Millin-Reinach, Peint. de vases, ii, pl. 13; Millin, Gal. Myth. pl. 57, no. 228; Dubois-Maisonneuve, ii, pl. 13; Inghirami, Vasi Fitt. i, pl. 65; Guigniaut, Religions de l’Ant. pl. 114, no. 438; Creuzer, Symbolik, iv, 1, pl. 9; C.I.Gr. 7440; Heydemann, Satyr und Bakchenn. p. 16. Cf. Raoul-Rochette, Μon. Ined. p. 230; Jahn, Vasenb. p. 19; Gerhard, A. V. i, p. 210; Heydemann, Dionysos’ Geburt, p. 23, d; Stephani, Compte-Rendu, 1861, p. 19; Dummler in Jahrbuch, 1887, p. 173; Arndt, Studien zur Vasenb. p. 74, no. 119; Winter, Jungere Att. Vas. p. 70.
For the form Η (in Hermes' name) as used for Έ or Ή, cf. Robert, Arch. Marchen, p. 198, note 1.
- Location
- On display (G20a/dc23)
- Acquisition date
- 1865
- Department
- Greek and Roman
- Registration number
- 1865,0103.52
