- Museum number
- 1869,0205.3
- Description
-
Pottery: red-figured kylix.
Interior: Within a circle composed of sets of four running maeanders, separated by chequered squares, Two Ephebi at the Bath. The one on left is in three-quarter face to right, but with head in profile; he passes his right hand behind his neck, probably scraping his back with a strigil. The other, in a bent attitude to left, left foot resting on the toes, rubs his extended left arm with the palm of his right; each wears a fillet. The figures stand on a line which cuts off an exergue, left red.
Exterior: (a) Ephebi at bath. On the right has been a house, represented by an upright supporting a beam, fastened obliquely to it, and capable of being raised or lowered, the whole resembling the modern Egyptian shaduf’. The well-head is represented by a cylindrical structure (puteal), raised about a foot from the floor. Between the well and the upright an ephebos squats on his heels to left, raising both hands to his hair, upon which a companion, standing beside the well in the background, is pouring water from the bucket, which is attached to the cross-beam by a cord. On the left is a loutron, beside which in the background are two ephebi conversing: a third ephebos on the left looks on with folded arms. All except the two in the well-house wear a fillet.
(b) Five ephebi preparing for the bath. On the left an ephebos scrapes his extended left arm with a strigil, a companion facing to front, with left hand on hip, looking on. On the right, a group of three, of whom the centre one has his back to the spectator, and with a strigil in his right, is scraping his shoulder-blades like the figure in the interior scene (most of his body destroyed); he looks to left, towards one who holds up in his left his strigil, laying his right forefinger upon it. The one on the right, holding a strigil in his left, hanging at his side, holds up his right with the palm upwards. All the figures wear a fillet.
Purple (now faded) has been used for headdresses and water. Inner markings in light brown. Eye of the fully developed profile type. Beneath each handle is a palmette on an inverted flower (?), with a palmette on each side of the handle.
- Production date
- 430BC (circa)
- Dimensions
-
Diameter: 33 centimetres
-
Height: 12.05 centimetres
- Curator's comments
- BM Cat. Vases
Gerhard, A.V. iv, pl. 277, p. 50 (describes it as ‘Volcentische’; but this need not represent actual provenance): since cleaned. Murray, Designs from Greek Vases, no. 58; cf. Hartwig, Meistersch. p. 26, for motive of apoxyomenos. The style resembles that of the Themis vase in Berlin, Cat. 2538.
Gerhard's drawing of side a does not accurately render the well: it gives the upright, but has transferred it to the left of the design. For the bucket and cord in a similar scene see Hartwig, Meistersch. p. 259, fig. 36b.
- Location
- On display (G19/dc1)
- Exhibition history
-
Exhibited:
1980 5 Jun- 26 Oct, London, BM, The Ancient Olympic Games
- Condition
- Much broken, but little missing.
- Acquisition date
- 1869
- Department
- Greek and Roman
- Registration number
- 1869,0205.3
