[Image not available]
Three-dimensional approximation of the vase
Main panel: hero carrying dead Amazon
[Image not available]
Room with three-dimensional approximations of Greek vases in the British M...
| Collection: | London, British Museum |
| Summary: | Body: Hero (Achilles?) carrying the body of an Amazon (Penthesilea? |
| Ware: | Attic Black Figure |
| Painter: | Attributed to the Leagros Group |
| Context: | Vulci |
| Date: | ca. 515 BC - ca. 500 BC |
| Dimensions: | H 0.518m |
| Primary Citation: | |
| Shape: | Hydria |
| Beazley Number: | 302028 |
| Region: | Etruria |
| Period: | Late Archaic |
Decoration Description:
Shoulder: Soldiers arming: At center a beardless warrior faces right, fastening a greave onto his left leg which rests on his helmet. He wears his hair long and filleted with a short chiton and sword, and his right greave already on. Confronting him is a female figure (his wife or mother?). She stands facing left and holding his spear with her right hand. She wears her filleted hair long and is dressed in a peplos. Behind her a warrior fully armed with helmet, shield (with a bent white leg as device) chlamys, short chiton, and greaves, faces left and holds the young man's shield (with a white tripod as device). Behind him, an archer walks to the right, turning back with his left hand raised and carrying an unidentified object in his right. He wears a peaked Phrygian cap, short chiton, and quiver. At the far right a fully armed warrior looks on. His shield bears the device of three pellets. With his back to the young warrior another fully armed warrior faces left, away from center. He, too, has the shield device of three white pellets. Confronting him further left is another beardless archer who holds a in his raised left hand and a in his right. He is dressed like the first. At the far left a beardless man looks right, standing quietly and watching the preparations. He wears a long chiton and himation and holds a staff in his left hand.
Body: At center a bearded warrior walks right, carrying on his left shoulder the dead body of an Amazon off the battlefield. He wears his filleted hair long with front locks and is dressed in a cuirass short chiton, and greaves, holding his two throwing spears in his right hand. A shield with an ivy wreath device rests against his leg. She, limp and lifeless, her eyes closed in death, wears a wreath in her long hair, a short chiton, cuirass, an arm bracelet, anklet, and sword. Is it Troy, Achilles, and Penthesilea? These names are not inscribed. To the right a warrior and archer depart to the right. The warrior looks back at the central scene. He is fully armed and his shield bears a triskeles device in white. The archer, wearing a peaked Phrygian cap, short chiton, quiver, and greaves, carries an axe in his left hand. On the left, behind the central group, an Amazon has fallen to the ground with her left leg drawn up under her. She protects herself with her shield on the left arm and holds her spear in her right hand. She wears a high-crested helmet, cuirass, short chiton, and greaves. Over her a fully armed warrior strides to the left with a shield device of a bull's head and with his right hand transfixes her with a spear. Above the last warrior is inscribed
A circumscribed tongue pattern runs above the shoulder panel, around the base of the neck. Borders of ivy run down the sides of the panels. A palmette frieze runs across the bottom. On the lower body there is a band of rays.
Inscriptions:
Above the last warrior is inscribed
Graffiti:
Underneath the foot is incised
Collection History:
ex Durand Collection
Sources Used:
Other Bibliography: