AN ATTIC BLACK-FIGURE LIDDED AMPHORA,

Details

AN ATTIC BLACK-FIGURE LIDDED AMPHORA,
Side A: showing Herakles wearing lion's pelt and a quiver slung over his right shoulder, in combat with triple-bodied Geryon, each of whose bodies are wearing tunics, plumed helmets and holding circular shields, the bearded figure of Geryon's herdsman, Eurytion, lying dying on the ground between them
Side B: showing three warriors, each wearing a crested helmet, greaves and a cloak, and holding spears and a circular shield
a double palmette frieze around the neck, a tongued band around the shoulder, the lower body with bands of rays, interlocking lotus buds and continuous meander, four scrolling palmettes and three lotus flowers emerging from each handle, details incised and in added purple, an incised graffito under the foot, repaired with some restoration, the lid with knob handle and decorated with black bands and an outer frieze of ivy-leaves, repaired with some restoration, early 6th Century B.C. 16¾in. (42.6cm.) high excluding lid, 18½in. (47cm.) including lid

Provenance

Auktion Fischer, Luzern, November 1955, cat. no. 117

Lot Essay

This vase depicts the Tenth Labour of Herakles which was to fetch the red cattle of Geryon without demand or payment. Geryon was the King of Tartassus in Spain and had been born with three bodies joined together at the waist. His cattle were guarded by the herdsman, Eurytion, the son of Ares. On reaching the cattle, Herakles killed Eurytion and then proceeded to drive the animals away. Geryon challenged Herakles to combat but was shot by him through all three bodies with a single arrow. Thus Herakles won the cattle without either demand or payment. From Geryon's blood sprang a tree which, at the time of the Pleiades' rising, bore stoneless cherry-like fruit. Cf. an Attic black-figure amphora in the Louvre with an almost identical figure of Geryon in combat with Herakles and Eurytion lying below

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