Iphigenia

Title: Iphigenia
Repository: British Museum
Alternative: Volute krater Vase F160
Creator: Pittore dell'Ilioupersis
Photographer: Lowenstam, Steven
Creator Display: attributed to Iliupersis Painter (Ancient Greek vase painter, active ca. 375-ca. 350 BCE)
Description: Pottery: red-figured volute-krater (bowl for mixing wine and water). Designs red on black ground, with white accessories. Round the lip, egg-moulding; underneath, laurel-wreaths. Above the design, on the neck, ivy-wreath; at the back of the neck, ivy-wreath and palmettes. Below the handles, palmettes; above each design on the body, tongue-pattern, and below all round, maeander and crosses. The handles terminate in swans' heads below, and above in female masks with rams' horns, in front white with black hair and yellow markings, at the back black throughout. On the neck in front : Dionysiac thiasos: In the centre is Dionysos moving rapidly to right, looking back; he is beardless, with long hair, wreath, bordered chlamys over left arm held up in right hand, thyrsos in left. On either side of him is a Maenad moving to right, with hair gathered in a bunch behind, earrings, necklace, bracelets, and long girt chiton; the one on the left has a thyrsos in right hand and a blazing torch in left; in front of her is a tendril. The other has a radiated ampyx, chiton over left shoulder, and a tympanon in left hand; she looks upwards, and before her is an altar, on which is a fruit. On the body: (a) Iliupersis: (1.) In the centre is represented Ajax seizing Cassandra: In front of a xoanon of Athene is an altar with wave-pattern on the cornice and imitation triglyphs and metopes in front; the statue looks to right and has long hair, high-crested helmet, long chiton with a stripe of chevrons down the front bordered by wave-patterns, girdle with white studs, aegis at back with snake-border, double-pointed spear couched in right hand, shield on left arm. On the altar is Cassandra, seated to left with face to front, clasping the statue with both hands; she has long dishevelled hair, necklace, bracelets, long girt bordered chiton over right shoulder, with apoptygma. On the right stands Ajax to left with right foot slightly raised, beardless, with curly hair, white high-crested helmet, bordered chlamys over left shoulder confined by a belt with white spots, sword slung at side, long spear in left hand; in right hand is his shield (device of four-spoked wheel in white on black, surrounded by a broad white band, outer rim of white dots), which he is laying down before seizing Cassandra. Below the altar is a prochoos lying on its side. On the right is Hecuba, or an aged priestess, running away and looking back, with white hair and eyebrows, double yellow fillet, sandals, long chiton and apoptygma reaching to the knees, embroidered down the front, and himation wrapped round her, right hand raised, left extended. (2.) On the left, the sacrifice of Polyxena is represented. Polyxena is fallen to right at the foot of the statue, clasping it with both arms; she has long dishevelled hair, necklace, bracelets, long girt chiton with a stripe down the side. Behind her is Odysseus running up to carry her off, with left hand extended to seize her; he is beardless, with white pilos, bordered chlamys fastened with a fibula in front, sword slung at side, long double-pointed spear in right hand. Above the scene on the left is Athene seated to right, with hair in a knot at the back tied with a double fillet, earrings, necklace, bracelets, aegis spotted white with snakes in front and radiated border with white zigzags, long chiton and apoptygma with border as the aegis, spear in right hand. Behind her is an Ionic column, round which is a string of large beads ending in tassels. (3.) Above are Anchises and Ascanios departing to right; Anchises is partly bald, with white hair, beard, and eyebrows, bordered embroidered himation over left arm, and staff in left hand; with right hand he leads Ascanios, who has a bordered himation over left arm. Behind them is a laurel-tree, and above are seen the segments of two shields, white with a border of dots. The ground-lines are indicated by white dots. (b) Departure of a warrior (?): In the centre is a beardless warrior to left with right foot raised on a rock, pilos, endromides, bordered himation over left shoulder, and spear in right hand; his left hand rests on his shield, which has a four-spoked wheel as device, with dots round the rim. Facing him is a beardless warrior with pilos slung at back, fillet, chlamys over his arms, endromides, spear in right hand, two fingers of left hand raised, as if addressing the other. Behind on a slightly higher level is a female figure to right with hair in a knot behind, embroidered opisthosphendone, earrings, necklace, bracelets, long girt chiton with apoptygma reaching to the hips, sandals, situla in right hand; in left hand she holds out phiale. Behind her hangs an embroidered taenia; above the warriors is seen part of a shield with device of an eight-point star and border of dots, and an open window with double shutter on which are rows of white spots. On the right is a youth seated to right looking, back, with fillet, drapery under him, and spear in left hand; on a higher level is a female figure to right looking back, with hair in a knot, earrings, necklace, bracelets, long girt chiton with apoptygma; with right hand she draws forward her drapery from behind. --The British Museum A Catalogue of the Greek and Etruscan Vases in the British Museum, London, William Nicol, 1851; Trendall, A D; Cambitoglou, Alexander, The red-figured vases of Apulia, Volumes 1-2, Oxford, Clarendon press, 1978; Walters, H B; Forsdyke, E J; Smith, C H, Catalogue of Vases in the British Museum, I-IV, London, BMP, 1893
View: Front
Coverage: Basilicata, Italy (creation)
Temporal: ca. 370-350 BCE
Subject: Myth between Iliad and Odyssey Sack of Troy
Style Period: Red-figure Apulian (pottery style)
Work Type: volute kraters
Date: -0370/-0350
Identifier: Lowenstam_VRC_01736
Item Locator: Box 4, Section 16
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: 87.63 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: Apulian (culture or style)
Id Current Repository: 1867,0508.1333