Fragment of a Panathenaic prize amphora (jar)
Reverse, shield of a participant in the race in armor
The race in armor was a major athletic competition in ancient Greece, partly because it featured the skill and stamina of a warrior. The shield here was painted white, with the device of a lion added in dilute glaze. The technique became popular in Athens from about 470 B.C. on, when it was employed particularly for funerary lekythoi (oil flasks).
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