Pelike
On loan to The Met
This work of art is currently on loan to the museum.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.
Artwork Details
- Title: Pelike
- Artist: Attributed to the Plousios Painter
- Period: Archaic
- Date: ca. 520 BCE
- Culture: Greek, Attic
- Medium: Terracotta
- Dimensions: (Cp 12647): 3 9/16 x 9 3/16 in. (9 x 23.3 cm)
Other (Cp11990 (7 joining) L.68.121)): 5 3/8 x 7 7/8 in. (13.7 x 20 cm) - Classification: Vases
- Credit Line: Lent by Musée du Louvre
- Object Number: L.1980.34.1
- Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art
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