- Museum number
- 1868,0606.8
- Description
-
Pottery: red-figured hydria.
The sending of Triptolemos. In the centre Triptolemos, a wreathed youth in a mantle, holding a sceptre with lotus top upright in his left, is seated to right in the winged chariot, his feet resting on a foot-board which is decorated with egg pattern. In his right he holds out a fluted phiale to be filled by Demeter, who with sceptre (like that of Triptolemos) held upright against her left arm pours wine into it from an oinochoe, so that it overflows: she wears a long bordered chiton with apoptygma tied, and earrings, and her long hair is confined with a radiated stephane decorated with egg pattern. On the right (within the handle of the vase) Hecate stands en face, but looking to left, holding out on each side of her a blazing torch: she wears a Doric chiton with apoptygma, and has her hair knotted with a radiated fillet. Above each of these figures is inscribed their name, TPIPTOΛEMOΣ, Tριπτόλεμος, ΔΗΜΗΤΗΡ, Δημήτηρ, ΕΚΑΤΗ, 'Εκάτη. On the right a woman runs up, with sleeved chiton, mantle and radiated sphendone, holding in her right a tripod situla filled with fruits (?). On the left of Triptolemos Persephone stands en face, with sceptre and dress like those of Demeter, but hair looped up, and earrings: she turns to left, extending her right hand towards a woman advancing on left with two torches, a long sleeved chiton and mantle, and headdress like that of Hecate: her body is drawn within the handle. On the left stands Pluto with white hair and beard, a long chiton and mantle: he carries on his right arm a sceptre (as before), on his left a large cornucopia filled with fruits. On the bottom of the foot, incised characters, ΛΗ.
Large style, but drawing careless. Purple (now nearly white) for hair of Pluto, flames, headdresses, inscriptions, wine, and stem and flowers of the myrtle wreaths which encircle the head of Triptolemos and neck of the vase. Brown markings of wings and fruit. Eye in profile. The design curves up over the shoulder. Below, a continuous band, sets of six maeanders separated by dotted chequer squares. Round the lip, egg pattern. Below the back handle, a double palmette with tendrils; around the insertion of each handle, tongue pattern.
- Production date
- 430BC (circa)
- Dimensions
-
Height: 43.18 centimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- BM Cat. Vases
Mon. dell’ Inst, i, pl. 4; Ann. dell’ Inst. 1829, p. 261; Inghirami, Vasi Fitt. i, pl. 7; Él. Cér. iii, pl. 58, p. 172; Müller-Wieseler, Denkm. d. a. Kunst. ii, pl. 9, no. 110, p. 45; Gonze, Götter u. Heroengest. pl. 10, fig. 2; Roscher, s.v. Hekate, cut on p. 1902; s.v. Hades, p. 1802; Overbeck, Kunstmyth. (Demeter und Kora), p. 518, no. 1, p. 543, no. 48; Atlas, pl. 15, no. 31; Harrison and Verrall, p. lii, fig. 9; Creuzer, Symbol, pt. iv, 2, pl. 4, 12; Gerhard, A.V. i, p. 218; Strube, Eleus. Bilderkreis, p. 15; Stephani, Compte Rendu 1859, p. 85, no. 36.
Müller, Welcker, and others take the figure on the left with torches as Persephone, and interpret the figure on left of Triptolemos as Rhea. The use of the lunate sigma is undoubted.
- Location
- On display (G20a/dc8)
- Acquisition date
- 1868
- Department
- Greek and Roman
- Registration number
- 1868,0606.8
