NEAR THE GORGONEION GROUP, CIRCA 590-570 B.C.

According to H. Payne (Necrocorinthia: A Study of Corinthian Art in the Archaic Period, p. 311), some of the finest of all Corinthian vases belong to the Gorgoneion Group, which was active for only a short period during the first quarter of the 6th century B.C. The group specialized primarily in column-kraters and kylikes, the interiors of which often featured a gorgoneion, hence the group’s name. On the krater presented here, the body is divided into two registers, the lower encircling, the upper divided by the handle supports. The upper register on one side depicts two horsemen moving to the right, with a lion to the left partially obscured by the handle and a panther to the right below the handle. According to D. Amyx (Corinthian Vase-Painting of the Archaic Period, vol. II, p. 648), the presence of horsemen suggests a horse-racing scene, even without the presence of prizes. On the other side is a siren facing right between a lion and a seated sphinx. The lower register features a series of goats and panthers. The handle-plates each feature a seated panther, and there is stepped zigzag on the rim. Added red was used throughout.