squat lekythos
- Museum number
- 1866,0415.63
- Description
-
Pottery: red-figured squat lekythos.
Danae receiving the shower of gold. Danae, in a mantle which leaves the body bare in front to the waist, a beaded sphendone, necklace, and bracelets is seated to right, holding out with her left her mantle to admit the shower of gold which falls from the border above in a continuous stream of large circular drops into her lap. On the right Eros moves away, looking back and waving his right with a gesture of encouragement; in his left he carries a phiale (?) and a mantle. On the left an attendant woman in long chiton, saccos, earrings, bracelets, and necklace, moves away rapidly, looking back and extending both arms in surprise.
Drawing late, but fairly careful. Flesh white, with brown details, on the red ground. The drapery has been rendered in a colour or colours now faded. On the attendant's dress, there is a small patch of blue. Gilding is used for the shower of gold, for the side of the wings of Eros, jewellery, the berries of the olive-wreath round the shoulder and the centres of the palmettes at the back. Below, a continuous band of egg pattern; round the neck, tongue pattern; below the handle, an elaborate palmette pattern.
- Production date
- 400BC-380BC
- Dimensions
-
Height: 17.78 centimetres
- Curator's comments
- BM Cat. Vases
Overbeck, Kunstmyth. (Zeus), p. 407, no. 3.
Overbeck mentions yellow colour on the dress of Danae; no trace of this exists.
- Location
- On display (G20a/dc44)
- Acquisition date
- 1866
- Department
- Greek and Roman
- Registration number
- 1866,0415.63
