Vase Catalog Number: London B 215

Decoration:

Side A: lunging from the right, Peleus wrestles with his future bride Thetis. He bends forward to lift her up, placing his shoulder beneath her waist and grasping her there with his left hand and pulling at her clothes with his left. The bearded hero wears a short embroidered chiton. She walks right, but turns back to the left, caught off guard by his advances. Thetis, her long hair wreathed, wears a long embroidered chiton and himation. Her right arm is around Peleus' body. Her changeability is hinted at by two simultaneously occurring transformations: a lion's head with open jaws and flowing mane emerging from her shoulder and by the panther which has leapt upon Peleus' back with its forepaws digging into his shoulder. On either side are sirens -- human-headed bird-figures whose bodies are formed by great eyes. That on the right is a female siren, on the left, a bird with a bearded head. Both have long hair and myrtle wreaths. It is a rare occurrence when the male gender is shown with white flesh. The eyes themselves are formed of concentric circles with black pupils, surrounded by added red and white rings and black outlines against a reserved ground. This use recalls the conceit by the Amasis Painter. Shoulder: There are two occurrences of lions, facing right and confronting goats.

Side B: Apollo Kitharoidos faces right, holding his kithara with his left hand and sweeping across its strings with the plektron in his right. The beardless god has long hair with curls falling in front of his ears, and wears a long chiton and embroidered himation. The kithara is edged with white to simulate ivory ornaments. A deer stands by his side, facing right and nibbling on grass. As on Side A, on either side are sirens, human-headed bird-figures, whose bodies are formed by great eyes. That on the right is a female siren, on the left, a bird with a bearded head. Both have long hair and myrtle wreaths. It is a rare occurrence when the male gender is shown with white flesh. The eyes themselves are formed of concentric circles with black pupils, surrounded by added red and white rings and black outlines against a reserved ground. Shoulder: Just as on A, there are two occurrences of lions, facing right and confronting goats.

Under the handles: Hermes moves to the right, looking back at Apollo. The bearded god wears his hair looped up under a fillet, a petasos, embroidered chlamys, short chiton, and endromides (winged boots). He carries his caduceus and ivy branches in his right hand and raises his left. Beneath the second handle, Artemis moves to the left, looking back at Peleus and Thetis. She has long hair, confined in a mitra (crown), and wears an embroidered chiton and himation. She carries a bow in her raised left hand. Her flesh is in added white as is customary for females. There are ivy branches in the field beside both figures.

Predella: There is a frieze of confronted animals. Panthers and goats occur twice and there is a lion confronting a panther with a goat facing to the left between the animals.

On the neck there is the usual double palmette pattern, but on a white ground.

Parallels:

for shape with rounded mouth, Northwick, Group of Bologna 33, 1.

Collection History:

ex Canino Collection, 1523.

Shape Description:

The mouth is of unusual form -- rounded above.

Sources Used:

Walters 1893, 142-143, fig. 33, p.25; Haspels 1936, 59; CVA, 4, 5, pl. 52, 1a-d; Boardman 1974, 110, fig. 195

(Susan H. Allen)