Terracotta kylix: eye-cup (drinking cup)

Greek, Attic

Not on view

Obverse, between eyes, warrior and woman (Menelaos and Helen?)
Reverse, between eyes, fight
Graffito under the foot: I am Melousa's prize; she won the girl's carding contest

The special interest of this kylix lies in the inscription. It is surprising that a girl who won a carding contest would choose or be given a cup decorated with military scenes. One explanation is that the prize was chosen from the potter's stock. When Menelaos reclaimed his wife, Helen, at Troy, he approached her threateningly but was disarmed by her beauty. If this is the subject of the obverse, the other combats also concern the Trojan War.

Terracotta kylix: eye-cup (drinking cup), Terracotta, Greek, Attic

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