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

Attributed to the Achilles Painter

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 159

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.

#1051. Terracotta bell-krater (bowl for mixing wine and water), Part 1

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  1. 1051. Terracotta bell-krater (bowl for mixing wine and water), Part 1
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Terracotta bell-krater (bowl for mixing wine and water), Attributed to the Achilles Painter, Terracotta, Greek, Attic

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Terracotta bell-krater (bowl for mixing wine and water), Attributed to the Achilles Painter, Terracotta, Greek, Attic
Terracotta bell-krater (bowl for mixing wine and water), Attributed to the Achilles Painter, Terracotta, Greek, Attic

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