kylix
- Museum number
- 1867,0508.963
- Description
-
Pottery: black-figured kylix. Interior: Gorgoneion, with curls and protruding tongue and tusks.
Exterior: (a) Merchant-vessel (holkas) sailing to right, rigged with mast and sail; on the prow an eye; at the stern a landing-ladder, and steersman with steering-oars (pedalia); along the sides, lattice-work bulwarks (cataphracti). Sailing towards it is a war-galley with mast and sail, prow in the form of a boar's head, bulwarks as before, high fore-deck, steering-oars and landing-ladder at stern; two banks of rowers, four sailors furling sail, and steersman.
(b) Similar design; the merchant-vessel has sails furled, no sailors are visible in the galley. Under the handle on the right is another boat to left, with an eye on the prow. The surface of the sea is indicated by a wavy line.
- Production date
- 520BC-500BC
- Dimensions
-
Diameter: 20.32 centimetres
-
Height: 8.89 centimetres
- Curator's comments
- BM Cat. Vases
De Witte, Descr. 193; Micali, Storia, pl. 103, 2; Baumeister, p. 1599; Smith, Dict. Ant.3 vol. ii. pp. 209, 210, 213; J.H.S. vi. p. 29; Jahrbuch, vii. (1892), p. 53.
For the scene, cf. BM Vases Β679 and Ε2.
It has been suggested that this scene may represent a pirate attack on the merchant vessels.
- Location
- On display (G69/dc25)
- Exhibition history
-
Exhibited:
1995, Amsterdam, Allard Pierson Museum, Ancient Seafaring
2000, Barcelona, Founding of the City
- Acquisition date
- 1867
- Department
- Greek and Roman
- Registration number
- 1867,0508.963
