| Collection: | Malibu, The J. Paul Getty Museum |
| Summary: | On neck: Side A: Herakles and Amazons; Labors of Herakles. Side B: arming scene |
| Ware: | Attic Red Figure |
| Painter: | Attributed to the Kleophrades Painter |
| Date: | ca. 490 BC |
| Dimensions: | H. ca. 0.9 m. |
| Shape: | Volute krater |
| Beazley Number: | 201704 |
| Period: | Late Archaic |
Decoration Description:
The body of the krater is black. On both sides of the neck are miniaturist friezes in two registers.
Side A, upper register: Amazonomachy, of which only the right and central parts are preserved. To right, three pairs of Amazons (two archers and four hoplites) defend a fallen Amazon against Herakles. Herakles grasps the hair of the fallen Amazon and prepares to stab her with his sword. He wears a lion skin and carries a sword in his right hand. The Amazons are dressed as Greek hoplites, with round shields (devices include a centaur), spears, cuirass, and crested helmets. They stride to left towards the hero, spears and bows upraised. To the left, Telamon fights a group of Amazons, one of whom is on her knees before him, raising her spear and shield. Telamon lifts his shield (device: a horse) and sword to strike the fallen Amazon. The left side of the frieze is hardly preserved; an Amazon carrying a wounded companion is preserved at the far left.
Side A, lower register: three labors of Herakles. At the far right, Atlas stands holding the heavens. Before him is the apple tree of the Hesperides, protected by the dragon Ladon. Herakles approaches from the left, wielding his club, to pluck the apple. He is naked except for his lionskin. Athena his protectress is partly preserved behind him, facing to the left toward his next labor. In the center of the frieze (a large part of which is missing), Herakles battles the triple-bodied Geryon (of whom only the three forward feet are preserved). Behind him, Herakles has already killed the double-bodied dog Orthos and shepherd Eurythion. At the left of the frieze, Herakles and Iolaos battle the Hydra. Only Herakles' foot is preserved, framing the register. Iolaos attacks the Hydra from the right, burning the severed stumps of its heads as Herakles cut them off. He carries a shield with a winged Pegasos as a device. On the rim is a maeander pattern.
Side B, upper register: Amazons preparing for battle. At the left side, five Amazons test their weapons and begin to arm themselves, holding greaves, shields, spears, and helmets; one tests an arrow with her finger, another prepares to put on a helmet, another puts on her greaves. Shield devices include a triskeles and a chimaera (?). At the center of the scene, three Amazons lead their horses to the right. The Amazons are armed and carry two spears. Four running Amazons to the right follow a trumpeter (at the far right, fragments preserved in the Louvre) into battle: they are on foot but a horse runs with them.
Side B, lower register: Peleus wrestling Thetis, with onlookers. The central part of the scene is poorly preserved, but Thetis has taken the form of a snake, and Peleus wrestles her. To the left, Chiron watches over his pupil Peleus; he will also be the teacher of Peleus' and Thetis' son Achilles. The centaur carries an elm branch over his shoulder. At the far left of the scene stands Doris, Thetis' mother (the fragment preserving Doris' head is in the Louvre). Two Nereids flee towards her; they wear long himations and mantles. The scene is framed on the right by Thetis' father Nereus, who sits on a stool, holding a staff in his right hand; two more Nereids, one holding a fish, flee towards him.
On the neck, a maeander pattern appears, slightly different from that on Side A. Under the handles are palmettes. On the volutes are linked spirals.
Collection History:
Previously in the collection of Gordon McLendon. Four fragments of this vase are in the Louvre, formerly in collection of the Marquis Campana, acquired in 1869.
Sources Used: