London B 52 (Vase)

Body: Hunter carrying game, standing between 2 men with staffs.

ID:
aa_4822
Beazley Number:
310458
Type:
Vase
Date:
ca. -550 — ca. -540
Period:
Archaic
Painter:
Attributed to the Amasis Painter
Dimensions:

H. 0.254 m.; D. 0.134 m.

Ware:
Attic Black Figure
Shape:
Olpe
Date Description

"This olpe stands somewhat apart from the others painted by the Amasis Ptr. and may well be the earliest." von Bothmer 1985, 139

Shape Description

Trefoil mouth

Decoration Description

Ext.: A hunter, carrying game and accompanied by his dog, stands between 2 men holding staffs. The hunter wears a fringed leather cap and a short belted chiton, also fringed. He carries the game (a fox and an hare) on a lagobolon, or yokelike stick, on his left shoulder. He walks to the right, his dog beside him on his left side. In front of the hunter stands a bearded man with short red hair, holding a staff in his right hand. His left arm is bent under his himation. Behind the hunter, another short haired man, wearing a himation, stands facing right. He holds a staff in his right hand. The clothing of all 3 men is decorated with red dots and dot-rosettes. The dot-rosettes have a red center and white petals.

The theme of this vase is the return of a successful hunter, as seen on a lip- cup inscribed by Tleson as potter, now in the British Museum, London B 421, and a chous attributed to the Amasis Painter, Bristol H 803, in the City Museum of Bristol (von Bothmer 1985, 138-139).

The figural panel is on one side of the vase, beginning to the right of the handle and ending opposite the handle. It is bordered at the top by an ornamental strip of seventeen upright black buds with dots in the interstices. On the side to the left of the handle are two reserved spandrels with a black disk between them, which might represent an apotropaic eye.

Graffiti

Several scratches at the top of the handle could be the remains of a graffito.

Notes

London B 421; Bristol H 803


Collection:
London, British Museum

Citations and Bibliography

ABV, 153, 31

Brard 1989, 75, 76; von Bothmer 1985, 138-139; Karouzou 1956, 10

F.L. Bastet, BABesch 41 (1966) 84-85, fig. 5; von Bothmer 1960, 75, 80; Langlotz & Schrader 1939, 38, n. 35.; Rumpf 1953, 50-51, pl. 12, 10; Walters 1893, 65

Main panel: hunter between...
Main panel: hunter between two men
IMAGE