Terracotta amphora (jar)
Attributed to a painter of Group E
Obverse, warrior and inscription: two obols—and hands off
Reverse, man carrying a tripod
In addition to its elegant simplicity, this amphora has several features of great importance. The figure on the reverse is probably an athlete who is carrying off his prize, a bronze tripod. Greek literature provides numerous references to tripods as prizes and dedications. A representation such as this shows their scale and how such objects were carried. The inscription on the obverse permits different interpretations. An obol was a unit of weight and a coin.
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