Triptolemos with Demeter and Kore

Title
Triptolemos with Demeter and Kore
Repository
British Museum
Alternative
Neck-amphora Old Catalogue 798 Vase E281
Creator
Polygnotos
Photographer
Lowenstam, Steven
Creator Display
attributed to Polygnotos (Greek vase painter, active ca. 450-425 BCE)
Description
Pottery: red-figured neck-amphora. (a) The sending of Triptolemos. In the centre Triptolemos, a youth with long hair looped up over the ears, a laurel wreath (red) with an olive wreath (purple) over it, a mantle about his legs, is seated to right in the winged carriage; he holds upright in his left a sceptre, the end resting on his right foot, and in his right a phiale. On the right Demeter stands en face, but looking at him, and pouring wine (the σπονδή) from a jug hanging in her right hand: her left rests on her shoulder. On the left Persephone stands looking on, leaning with her left on a sceptre, and holding downwards in her right ears of corn. Each goddess wears a long sleeved chiton and himation, earrings, and a radiated fillet. Demeter has a saccos: Persephone, a broad band, studded with crosses, wound twice round her looped up hair: her chiton has a broad border of dots and a pattern of crosses. The wings of the chariot are very long, and rise perpendicularly from the axle. The seat is modelled after an Ionic capital, with a spotted cushion, and has a dotted step and side rail terminating in a rosette, resting on columniform supports. (b) Demeter (?), Persephone (?), and a woman. Two women, resembling the goddesses in a, stand on the right, facing a figure closely draped in long chiton and mantle, and long hair bound with radiated fillet, who appears to be a woman and to wear earrings. Demeter stands in the centre, dressed as before, and holding a burning torch. Persephone stands on right en face, but looking to left, holding in her right upright a sceptre: her chiton is here without decoration, her hair is knotted behind, and she has a radiated fillet. Late stage of large style. Purple (or white?) rays, wreath, wine, flame, and ears of corn. No inner markings of anatomy. Eye in profile. --The British Museum A Catalogue of the Greek and Etruscan Vases in the British Museum, London, William Nicol, 1851; Walters, H B; Forsdyke, E J; Smith, C H, Catalogue of Vases in the British Museum, I-IV, London, BMP, 1893; Walters, H B, Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum: Great Britain 4, British Museum 3, London, BMP, 1927
View
Front
Coverage
Attica, Central Greece and Euboea, Greece (creation) Nola, Campania, Italy (discovery)
Temporal
450-430 BCE
Subject
Demeter Pottery IV Black Figure, Red Figure
Style Period
Red-figure Attic (Mainland Greek pottery styles)
Work Type
neck amphorae
Date
-0450/-0430
Identifier
Lowenstam_VRC_06036
Item Locator
Box 13, Section 21
Rights
In Copyright
Dc Rights Holder
University of Oregon, Department of Classics
Local Collection Name
Steven Lowenstam Collection
Type
Image
Format
image/tiff
Measurements
Height: 56.515 cm
Material
pottery | painted
Set
Lowenstam Collection of Ancient Western Art and Archaeology
Primary Set
Lowenstam Collection of Ancient Western Art and Archaeology
Institution
University of Oregon
Cultural Context
Attic (culture)
Id Current Repository
1849,0518.8