Munich 2044

Munich 2044 (Vase)

Interior: Dionysos sailingSides A-B: each, between eyes, nose, at each handle, fight

ID:: aa_4298
Beazley Number:: 310403
Type:: Vase
Date:: ca. -530
Period:: Archaic
Context:: From Vulci
Region:: Etruria
Painter:: Attributed to Exekias
Potter:: Signed by Exekias
Attributed By:: J.D. Beazley
Dimensions:: H. 0.136 m., D. 0.305 m.
Ware:: Attic Black Figure
Shape:: Kylix

Shape Description

Kylix, Type A

Decoration Description

Interior: Dionysos in a ship, sailing amongst dolphins. Dionysos reclines like a symposiast in his ship, holding a rhyton in his right hand and leaning back on his left arm. The white sail of the ship spreads above him, and climbing the mast of the ship, a grapevine with clusters of grapes fills the field of the cup. The prow of the ship is decorated with eyes; the body of the ship with two leaping dolphins and the stern post bends up into a swan's head. Around the ship, seven dolphins jump and sport, surrounding Dionysos like maenads and satyrs. The field is painted in coral red, forming a seamless background encompassing both sea and sky which fills the whole interior of the cup rather than being confined to a central tondo. The composition is unusually well suited to the circular field of the vase.

Exterior: on both sides A and B, large apotropaic eyes like those on East Greek cups, with eyebrows and diminutive noses. Beneath and on either sides of the handles, battles over fallen heroes (fight for the body of Patroklos?). On one side the warrior has already been stripped of his armor; on the other, he is still armed.