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Pelike, fragmentary

Attributed to the Plousios Painter

ca. 510 BCE

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 155

Introduced by red-figure artists, the pelike was adopted as well by their black-figure counterparts. The subject here is a further modification of the theme of Ajax and Achilles gaming (compare hydria 56.171.29). Two men sit at a three-legged table playing a board game, as indicated by their gestures. A flute case and a lyre hanging on the wall above them suggest that the men are professional musicians taking a break. The implied comparison with the Homeric heroes is amusing.

Attributed to the Plousios Painter, Terracotta, Greek, Attic — Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Title: Pelike, fragmentary

Artist: Attributed to the Plousios Painter

Period: Archaic

Date: ca. 510 BCE

Culture: Greek, Attic

Medium: Terracotta

Dimensions: Other (Cp11990 (7 joining)): 5 3/8 x 7 7/8 in. (13.7 x 20 cm)
Other (Cp12647 (L.1980.34.1)): 3 9/16 x 9 3/16 in. (9 x 23.3 cm)

Classification: Vases

Credit Line: Lent by Musee du Louvre

Accession Number: L.68.121

The Met

Greek and Roman Art at The Met

The Museum's collection of Greek and Roman art comprises more than 30,000 works ranging in date from the Neolithic period to the time of the Roman emperor Constantine's conversion to Christianity in A.D. 312.