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

Attributed to the Persephone Painter
ca. 440 BCE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 153
Obverse, the ascension of Persephone from the underworld
Reverse, libation scene

Persephone, the daughter of the goddess Demeter, was condemned to spend half of each year with Hades, the ruler of the underworld. In this grandiose representation, Persephone ascends to earth through a rocky outcrop. She is guided by Hermes, the divine messenger, and Hekate, a goddess of fertility, magic, and dark things who typically carries torches. At the far right stands the regal Demeter, waiting to receive her daughter and the renewal of life that her return engendered.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Terracotta bell-krater (bowl for mixing wine and water)
  • Artist: Attributed to the Persephone Painter
  • Period: Classical
  • Date: ca. 440 BCE
  • Culture: Greek, Attic
  • Medium: Terracotta; red-figure
  • Dimensions: H. 16 1/8 in. (41 cm); diameter of mouth 17 7/8 in. (45.4 cm)
  • Classification: Vases
  • Credit Line: Fletcher Fund, 1928
  • Object Number: 28.57.23
  • Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
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Terracotta alabastron (perfume vase), Persephone Painter, Terracotta, Greek, Attic
Terracotta alabastron (perfume vase)
Persephone Painter
ca. 440 BCE
Terracotta calyx-krater (bowl for mixing wine and water), Persephone Painter, Terracotta, Greek, Attic
Terracotta calyx-krater (bowl for mixing wine and water)
Persephone Painter
ca. 440 BCE
Terracotta bell-krater (mixing bowl), Painter of New York GR 1000, Terracotta, Greek, South Italian, Campanian
Terracotta bell-krater (mixing bowl)
Painter of New York GR 1000
ca. 350–325 BCE
Terracotta bell-krater (bowl for mixing wine and water), Kekrops Painter, Terracotta, Greek, Attic
Terracotta bell-krater (bowl for mixing wine and water)
Kekrops Painter
ca. 410–400 BCE
Pair of terracotta volute-kraters (vases for mixing wine and water) with stands, Terracotta, Greek, South Italian, Apulian
Pair of terracotta volute-kraters (vases for mixing wine and water) with stands
Greek, South Italian, Apulian
3rd quarter of the 4th century BCE

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