Terracotta bell-krater (bowl for mixing wine and water)

Achilles Painter

ca. 460–450 BCE · Terracotta · Greek and Roman Art

Obverse, warrior and man Reverse, Nike (the personification of victory) and youth Individual characterization is rare in Attic vase-painting, but there are notable exceptions. The head of the wizened warrior on the obverse, with his unkempt hair, long bony nose, and furrowed brow, bespeaks a specific non-Athenian person. Identifying him is complicated by an inscription incised before the background glaze was applied and, therefore, difficult to read. The preferred interpretation is that this is Tereus, the king of Thrace, who seriously mistreated Philomela and Prokne, the daughters of King Pandion of Athens. Here Tereus may be asking Pandion for permission to marry Prokne.

Artist

Achilles Painter

Date

ca. 460–450 BCE

Medium

Terracotta

Culture

Greek, Attic

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1907