Lot 4E
Ancient Greece, Athens, ca. 500 BCE. A beautiful Attic black-figure neck amphora of a classic form with twin conjoined tripartite strap handles, an elegant narrow neck that meets the body at a dramatic angle, and a small foot, expertly painted with scenes from the mythological story of Hippodamia, the bride of King Pirithous of the Lapiths. As the legendary story goes, Pirithous, the half brother of Centaurus, was about to marry Hippodamia. Unfortunately, the Centaurs who were invited to the wedding imbibed in too much wine and became rather uncivilized and monstrous. Overstepping their boundaries to say the least, they attempted to abduct Hippodamia and some youthful boys in attendance. This inspired Pirithous and his friend Theseus to wage war upon the Centaurs and ultimately defeat the Centauromachy. The painter of this vase depicted marriage of Hippodameia and King Pirithous on Side A. Both are depicted in profile flanking the officiator who presents a libation during the ceremony. On Side B, we see Hippodamia rendered in composite profile and struggling between two determined Centaurs. A fabulous example of black figure technique with fugitive white and red pigments strategically added to enhance the dimensionality of the figures. The neck, areas beneath each handle, and lower section are further adorned with stylized palmettes and linear motifs. Amphorae possessing such rich iconography, exemplary form, and fine painting technique would have been created by the leading artists of the period. Size: 6" W x 9.75" H (15.2 cm x 24.8 cm)
The legendary battle between the King of the Lapiths and the Centaurs has ignited the imaginations of countless authors and artists in the classical tradition as well as throughout history. The following is an example from Homer's Odyssey, "Wine is many a man's undoing, when he gulps his draught and will never drink discreetly. Wine it was that darkened the wits of Eurytion the Kentauros (Centaur) in the palace of bold Peirithoos. The kentauros had come to the Lapithai's country, and now with wine he clouded his understanding and in his frenzy did monstrous things in the very hall of Peirithoos. The heroes were seized with indignation; they leapt up, they dragged the kentauros across the courtyard and out of doors, they lopped off his ears and nose with the ruthless bronze, and the frenzied creature went his way, taking his retribution with him in his still darkened mind. From this beginning came the long feud between men and Kentauroi (Centaurs), but it was Eurytion first of all who brought chastisement on himself by his drunkenness."
Provenance: Ex. Jurgen Haering, German Private Collection 1980’s
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#114061
- Condition: Tiny nicks to rim and foot. Minor scratches and wear to surface. Overall near choice.
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