Lot Essay
For an neck-amphora in the MET with a similar scene of Herakles and Amazons see no. 29 in Moore and von Bothmer, Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, Attic Black-figured Neck-amphorae, Fascicule 4 (USA Fascicule 16).
THE PROPERTY OF AN AUSTRALIAN PRIVATE COLLECTION
AN ATTIC BLACK-FIGURE NECK-AMPHORA
ATTRIBUTED TO THE CIRCLE OF THE ANTIMENES PAINTER CIRCA 510-500 B.C.
Details
AN ATTIC BLACK-FIGURE NECK-AMPHORA
attributed to the circle of the antimenes painter
circa 510-500 b.c.
The A-Side with Herakles facing right, draped in his lion skin, lunging with his right arm upraised with a sword about to slay the half-fallen Andromache, the Amazon wearing a plumed helmet and protecting herself with a large upraised shield, flanked by two other armed Amazons; the B-Side with Dionysus facing right holding a kantharos in his left hand, vine garlands and bunches of grapes in his right, with a maenad facing him on either side; the neck with a band of palmette and lotus chain, a band of red and black tongue on the shoulder, lotus motif with four palmettes beneath the reeded handles, bands of meander and conjoined lotus buds below the scenes, rays above the foot, details in added red and white
18 5/8 in. (47.7 cm.) high
attributed to the circle of the antimenes painter
circa 510-500 b.c.
The A-Side with Herakles facing right, draped in his lion skin, lunging with his right arm upraised with a sword about to slay the half-fallen Andromache, the Amazon wearing a plumed helmet and protecting herself with a large upraised shield, flanked by two other armed Amazons; the B-Side with Dionysus facing right holding a kantharos in his left hand, vine garlands and bunches of grapes in his right, with a maenad facing him on either side; the neck with a band of palmette and lotus chain, a band of red and black tongue on the shoulder, lotus motif with four palmettes beneath the reeded handles, bands of meander and conjoined lotus buds below the scenes, rays above the foot, details in added red and white
18 5/8 in. (47.7 cm.) high
Provenance
Antiquities, Sotheby's London, 14 July 1987, lot 407.