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On a Group of Early Attic Lekythoi

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 December 2013

R. C. Bosanquet
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Extract

The white lekythoi represented on Plates IV.–VII. and Figs. 1 and 2 are members of a series, twelve or more in number, all bearing a marked family likeness in style, subject, and inscription. They are of interest to the historian as presenting pictures of Athenian domestic life in the years of peace which followed the Persian War: to the student of sculpture as anticipating in a curious way many of the types and motives of later grave-reliefs: and to the student of vase-technique as bridging the interval between the white-ground kylikes of the ‘severe’ school and the ‘Lécythes blancs attiques à représentations funéraires’ on which M. Pottier has written. Here is the list. For the sake of clearness I have placed the inscriptions of the white-ground lekythoi on the left-hand side of the page, those of the red-figured on the right.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Hellenic Studies , Volume 16 , November 1896 , pp. 164 - 177
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies 1896

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References

1 The form Υ occurs on the kantharos of Epigenes (Annali 1850, Tav. H, I) and on the Alkimedes lekythos, our No. 10. For earlier instances of Ο∨ instead of Ο to represent the non-diphthongal ου, see Kretschmer, , Vaseninschriften, p. 108.Google Scholar

2 See for Lichas, Herod. i. 67, Xen., Hell. iii. 2, 21Google Scholar. For Samios Herod. iii. 55, Xen., Hell. iii. 1Google Scholar. Lichas occurs in other Dorian states; Samios seems peculiar to Sparta.

3 The only other instance seems to be a Nolan amphora, E, 330 in the British Museum (Mon. d. Inst. i. 9, 3), which has

As Wernicke suggests, this Epichares may be identical with one whose name appears on a kylix contemporary with the early work of Euphronios. See also his speculations as to the relationship of this Alkimachos and the father of Axiopeithes (No. 11 in the list above).

4 Tangible proofs of it are the facts that he was proxenos of Sparta and called one of his sons Cf. Plutarch's Cimon, passim.

5 After an admirable water-colour by Dr. Winter. For permission to reproduce it here I am indebted to the great kindness of Professor Loeschcke. The fragment is well known by description (Arch. Jahrb. ii. p. 162 Studniczka, , Arch. Anz. 1890, p. 11Google Scholar Loeschcke, and the collections of Klein and Wernicke).

6 Klein gives only our No. 10, besides the Nolan amphora from Gela, already referred to, and a vase of unknown form. Add the following white lekythoi. All agree in the use of added white with our No. 10.

(a)Oxford., Seated lady holding wreath. Behind her a column, at her feet a duck. Red-figured shoulder. Ht. ·25Google Scholar.

(b) Athens 1913. Found at Athens, . Woman offers fruit to youth. Between them a dog. Ht. ·27Google Scholar.

(c) Same inscription. At a dealer's. Found near Peiraeus.

Seated lady, to whom maid brings casket. Much burned. Ht. ·33.

(d) Same inscription. Boston 448. Found at Eretria.

Two women talking; one holds alabastron and toilet vase. Ht. ·30. It appears from a photograph which Mr. Edward Robinson has been so kind as to send me that this is the vase published by le Vicomte de Caix de Saint-Aymour in Mem. des Ant. de France, 6me. série iii. p. 65, Fig. 2. Another vase there described seems to be No. 449 of the Boston Catalogue.

Of these Lichas vases (a) is about contemporary with the Glaukon lekythos (Jahrb. ii. p. 163) and uses black relief-lines, (c) closely resembles our No. 10. (d) is freer in style and has the later shoulder-ornament—see Fig. 5 below.

7 Annali 1871, F.

8 Berlin, No. 2285. Mon. d. Inst. ix. 54. Arch. Zeit. 1873, Taf. 1.

9 British Museum, E 298. Klein, , Euphronios,2 p. 103.Google Scholar

10 Cf. Gerhard, , A. V. 189.Google Scholar

11 See the remarks of Kretschmer, , Vaseninschriften, p. 104 ff.Google Scholar

12 Ath. Mitt. xv. Taf. 1.

13 Stackelberg, Gräber, Taf. 47. Benndorf, Gr. u. Sic. Vasenb. Taf. 27.

14 Cat. 2444.

15 Inv. 3171. Anzeiger 1891, p. 118, No. 15.

16 Ib. 3262. Anzeiger 1893, p. 93, No. 55.

17 Dr. Furtwängler tells me that the Museum at Palermo contains a lekythos from Gela, No. 157, red outlines on white ground, representing a mourner beside a grave-stele.

18 Van Branteghem Sale Catalogue, No. 171, and Plate 43.

19 Ashmolean Catalogue, Plate 20.

20 Compare e.g. the somewhat earlier Glaukon amphora, de Luynes, Vases Plate XXV., or that at Vienna with the name of Timonides.

21 A good instance is the b. f. lekythos, Athens, 1129, Lamia tortured by Sileni, published by Mayer, M., Ath. Mitth. ix. 1891.Google Scholar Its peculiar shape and ornament (vine-pattern on neck, very rare) link it with two outline lekythoi which must be nearly contemporary: Athens, 1983, Amazons, and 1982, an early tomb-scene with white flesh and details in black. In the case of the well-known Diitrephes vase, I cannot agree with Furtwängler, , who says (Masterpieces, p. 124Google Scholar, Fig. 48): ‘The lekythos to judge from its shape is almost contemporary with the red-figured vases of the fine period, and cannot therefore be much earlier than about 450 B.C.’ This lekythos is one of a well-defined group, however, identical in shape and ornament, and marking various stages of transition from b. f. to outline technique. They usually have black neck, bars and 1 + 3 + 1 palmettes on red shoulder, white body, and very peculiar meander-band as in J.H.S. xiii., Plates II. and III., where (1) and (2) are published:—

(3) Athens, 1809. Eros flying among tendrils. From Aigina. Dumont, Céramiques xi. These three are b. f. with purple touches.

(4) Vienna, Hof-Mus. 195. Duel over fallen warrior, women r. and l.

Free b. f.: no purple.

(5) Cab. des Méd. Wounded ‘Diitrephes,’ b.f. with helmet and shield left in outline; incised lines even finer than those on the Eros (3), which however is freer in drawing.

(6) Athens, 1827. Nike flying r. over altar. From Eretria. Outline drawing, with black accessories. ‘Severe’ eye. The tendril below her recalls those round the Eros (3).

(7) Louvre. Bust of woman to r. playing lyre. Columns behind. Collignon, Céramique Grecque, Pl. X. ‘Severe’ eye.

Of these, (1) and (3) have a projecting black rim on the foot; (2) and (5) have a foot with concave profile; the foot of (4), (6), (7), is a plain disc.

We may find a lower limit for dating this series in the Glaukon lekythos (Jahrb. ii. p. 163), which has some affinity in shape and decoration, but is far less severe in drawing. To the same period as the ‘Diitrephes’ vase I would assign the white outline lekythoi with severe drawing in black relief-lines. The subject is usually a woman preceded by an animal in black silhouette, e.g.:—

Oxford, 265. Nike and black doe. From Eretria. Ht. ·29. Ashmolean Catalogue, Pl. 25. British Museum, D 23. Priestess and black snake. From Gela, Ht. ·27.

Athens, 1792. Woman playing lyre, and black dog. From Attica. Ht. ·22. Ath. Mitth. xvi., Pl. X. 2.

Louvre. Artemis (?) and black bull. From Eretria. Ht. ·27.

Compare also:—

Athens, 1964. Ephebus putting on greave. From Eretria. Ht. ·30. Described, Δєλτίον, 1889, p. 76, 5. This figure is contemporary in drawing with the designs ascribed by Hartwig to Amasis; note especially the eye and the beaded edge of the hair on the forehead. It is evident that Furtwängler puts the period of transition too late when he says (Masterpieces, p. 124, note 5): ‘Just at this time,’ i.e. about 450 B.C., ‘purely outline designs first make their appearance on lekythoi.’ In spite of the weight of his authority I would place the Diitrephes lekythos, with the others which I have enumerated, considerably before 460.

22 We also find white fold-lines, as on Brit. Mus. D 47 (Catalogue, vol. iii. Plate XXV.). I used to believe that this vase, found at Gela, must, owing to its technical and stylistic peculiarities, be a Geloan imitation. But I lately saw a lekythos from Southern Attica which exhibited most of these peculiarities, including the white fold-lines. Same style and period. It is the earliest instance known to me of a tomb-scene—a man and woman before a slender four-step stele, which is painted white.