amphora

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Object Type: amphora
Museum number: 1894,1101.161
Description: Attic black-figured amphora decorated with winged figures on each side, probably representations of a Boread and a Harpy; wheel-made; ovoid body on a ring base; pair of opposing loop handles; tall concave neck with a large rounded rim; orange clay covered with a black lustrous slip: solid neck and handles, bands on the lower body; the scenes are incised and painted in the black figure technique on a red ground, with added purple and white paint. Side A: a four-winged Boread wearing a short tunic and fawn skin (nebris) with a flat band (taenia) on its head runs towards the right with outstretched legs and wings. Side B: four winged Harpy, apparently pursued by the Boread, similarly dressed and postured with a wreath in her outstretched left hand; vase repaired from fragments and restored in places, slip damaged in places.
Cultures/periods: Attic; Archaic Greek
Production date: 550BC-520BC
Production place: Made in: Attica (Greece)
Excavator/field collector: Excavated by: Turner Bequest Excavations, Amathus
Findspot: Excavated/Findspot: Amathus (historic), Site E, tomb 78
Materials: pottery
Ware: Black Figure
Technique: slipped; incised; wheel-made; painted
Dimensions: Diameter: 10.20 centimetres (mouth); Height: 24.70 centimetres
Curator's comments: The shape is Cypriot, possibly copied by an Attic potter for the local market.
Bibliographic references: Murray, Smith and Walters 1900 / Excavations in Cyprus (p. 119, Tomb 78; p. 110, figs. 161-162); Gjerstad et al. GGAPC / Greek Geometric and Archaic pottery found in Cyprus (No. 502, p. 52 & pl. LVIII, 1-2); CVA British Museum 4 / Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum: Great Britain 5, British Museum 4 (III H e Pl. 73, 3)
Location: On display (G72/dc14)
Subjects: deity; classical mythology; mythical figure/creature
Associated names: Representation of: Boreads; Representation of: Harpy
Acquisition name: From: Turner Bequest Excavations, Amathus
Funder name: Funded by: Emma Tourner Turner (bequest)
Acquisition date: 1894
Department: Greek and Roman
Registration number: 1894,1101.161

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