Terracotta neck-amphora (jar)

Unknown

ca. 510 BCE · Terracotta · Greek and Roman Art

Introduced on vases and monuments of the sixth century B.C. and becoming less popular after 510 B.C., the motif of Herakles struggling with a sea deity is predominantly Attic. On one side, Herakles stands over Triton, an angry fish-tailed monster; on the other, a calm is represented with Nereus, father of the sea, in the company of two of his daughters, the nereids. It has been suggested that perhaps the story of Herakles and Triton alludes to Athenian maritime victory under the Pisistratid rule.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 510 BCE

Medium

Terracotta

Culture

Greek, Attic

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Credit line

Gift of Mrs. Edward Robinson, 1946