- Museum number
- 1873,0820.355
- Description
-
Pottery: red-figured hydria.
Apollo pursuing a woman. Apollo, a youth in a short richly embroidered chiton, with long hair wreathed with laurel, a mantle hanging from his left arm, a bow and quiver hanging at his side from a cross-belt, runs at full speed to right with a forked laurel branch couched butt foremost in his right, and extends his left arm to seize a woman in a long sleeved chiton embroidered on the upper part with crosses, a mantle fastened on the right shoulder and flying thence in two long pteryges, and a radiated sphendone, who flies to right, looking back and extending both arms in terror. Above Apollo is inscribed, KAΛΟΣ, καλός: above the woman, ΚΑΛΕ, καλή. On the left the chariot of Apollo stands ready to drive away to the left, the charioteer, with goad and reins, restraining the two winged horses, while he looks round at the central action: he is bearded and wreathed, and wears a short chiton, chlamys and a petasos hanging at his back. On the right of the woman pursued, another woman (her attendant?) flees to right, carrying in her right a large spiral plant in form of a palmette: she wears a bordered Doric chiton with apoptygma, and a saccos: from the gesture of her left hand she seems to be telling the news to a bearded figure with long hair wreathed, a long sleeved chiton and a bordered mantle, who stands to left holding upright in his right hand a long thin staff. Towards him from the right another attendant woman runs, in a long sleeved chiton, the upper part decorated with crosses, a mantle, and a saccos: she holds out her right with a gesture like the other, and turns to look at a third woman similarly dressed, who stands quietly on the right holding up in her right hand a flower with spiral tendril.
On the bottom of the foot, incised characters. U ΣKVHV I.
Drawing of good period. The design occupies a broad frieze, covering the entire shoulder of the vase: below it is a continuous band of egg pattern, and a broad band of pattern, divided by the side handles: the front band is composed of a strip of alternate palmette and honeysuckle, laid on a strip of the same inverted: at the back is a similar strip, but more conventionalised. Around the neck, a single band of the same pattern: and round the lip and the insertion of each handle, egg pattern. Purple is used for inscriptions, wreaths and rays : brown for inner markings and details of dress, and for the floating ends of Apollo's hair. The edge of the charioteer's hair against the flesh is dotted.
- Production date
- 450BC-440BC
- Dimensions
-
Height: 47.50 centimetres
- $Inscriptions
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- Curator's comments
- BM Cat. Vases
Mon. dell’ Inst, ix, pl. 28; Ann. dell’ Inst. 1871, p. 107; Overbeck, Kunstmyth. Atlas, pl. 26, no. 8; (Apollo) p. 485, no. 3; Arch. Zeit. 1869, p. 35, no. 4; Bull. dell’ Inst. 1868, p. 136, ii.
The sleeves and necks of the chiton in some cases have the border of dots as in BM Vase B169. The chiton of Apollo is unusual: on the body are four dotted circles in light brown, connected by two vertical wavy lines of a similar ornament, but larger, in the centre of the body.
Heydemann and Overbeck both point out that there is nothing in this scene to identify it with any specific adventure of Apollo; cf. e.g. Heydemann, Gr. Vasenb. pl. i, 3, where a youthful Apollo (inscribed) pursues a girl inscribed KAΛE. The bearded man as the typical father, the flying maidens as the sisters, and the chariot standing ready are the usual accompaniments of such a subject, especially where a long space has to be filled: cf. Peleus seizing Thetis, BM Vase Ε15, or the rape of the Leukippidae on the Meidias vase, BM Vase Ε224.
- Location
- On display (G20a/dc8)
- Acquisition date
- 1873
- Department
- Greek and Roman
- Registration number
- 1873,0820.355
