- Museum number
- 1892,0718.2
- Description
-
Pottery: White-ground kylix (drinking-cup).
Glaucos and Polyeidos in the tomb. The tomb is in the form of a conical tumulus, surmounted outside by a tripod. Within it on the floor of the tomb are two figures: on the right a boyish figure, Glaucos, sits with knees drawn up and arms folded around them, closely wrapped in an himation which passes over the back of his head; over him is inscribed his name, ΓΛΑΥΚΟΣ, Γλαύκος. On the left confronting him is Polyeidos, a rather older figure with a himation around his lower limbs; he raises himself on his knees, uplifting in his right hand a spear, with which he thrusts downwards at one of two snakes which lie at the bottom of the scene below the centre of the tumulus. The snake on the left appears to be moving towards its companion, which lies extended with its body in two loops as if dead. Beside Polyeidos on the left is his name, ΠΟΛΥΕΙΔΟΣ, Πολυείδος. Below the tripod has been the artist's signature, …ΑΔΕΣ, Σωτ]άδης [εποίησεν.
The vase is of very delicate manufacture, the clay thrown extremely fine. The outer surface is black; the interior, excepting a thin black line around the lip, is covered with a white engobe. The design occupies the entire field within the black line. The figures are drawn in brown outline, the hair in a brown wash, and the drapery brownish-purple with black details. The tumulus is indicated by a brown outline, lightly shaded on the inner side with strokes of the same colour: the ground-line within it is indicated by a thin brown line, below which is a band of pebbles coloured black, brown, and pink: the snakes are painted in thinned black, shaded off into brown: inscriptions brown.
- Production date
- 460BC-450BC (circa)
- Dimensions
-
Diameter: 13.30 centimetres
-
Height: 7.60 centimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- BM Cat. Vases
White Athenian Vases, pl. 16; Frohner, Van Branteghem Coll. no. 166, pl. 41; Zingerle in Arch.-epigr. Mittheil. aus Oesterr. 1894, p. 119; cf. Arch. Anzeiger, 1891, p. 69; Hartwig, Meistersch. p. 501, no. 24.
For the myth, cf. Apollod. iii, 2, 3; apparently the artist has here combined two moments, really successive in the story, as one, viz., the slaying of the first snake, and its restoration to life by the second snake.
- Location
- On display (G15/dc7)
- Exhibition history
-
Exhibited:
2006 8 Jun-4 Sep, Los Angeles, The Getty Villa, The Colors of Clay
- Acquisition date
- 1892
- Department
- Greek and Roman
- Registration number
- 1892,0718.2
