Terracotta pelike (jar)

Attributed to the manner of the Pig Painter
ca. 480 BCE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 157
Obverse, satyr and the wine god, Dionysos
Reverse, two youths

The painter of this pelike distinguishes himself by his introduction of unusual animals. The lion clearly was not known to the artist firsthand but serves to emphasize the special powers of Dionysos and his followers: the sound of the flute together with the wine makes even a lion tame. The youths on the reverse are accompanied by a Maltese dog.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Terracotta pelike (jar)
  • Artist: Attributed to the manner of the Pig Painter
  • Period: Classical
  • Date: ca. 480 BCE
  • Culture: Greek, Attic
  • Medium: Terracotta; red-figure
  • Dimensions: H. 12 3/16 in. (30.9 cm)
    diameter of mouth 5 1/8 in. (13 cm)
    diameter of foot 5 3/8 in. (13.7 cm)
  • Classification: Vases
  • Credit Line: Fletcher Fund, 1956
  • Object Number: 56.171.43
  • Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art

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