Vase Catalog Number: Munich 2421 (inv. no. Munich J 6)

Decoration:

Panel: Music lesson. The main panel is framed on the bottom by a frieze of scrolls with alternating palmettes, at the sides by framed palmettes, and on the top by a maeander key. The music teacher is seated in an armchair on the right playing the lyre in a rather stiff posture. An older student, starting to grow a beard, sits on a stool with patterned pillow in front of him, also playing the lyre. A younger boy, wrapped tightly in a long mantle, stands between them and narrates a text. They are watched on the left by an older man leaning on a gnarled stick, his right hand resting on his hip. All figures are wearing red wreaths. Several red inscriptions identify the figures: behind the teacher is noted SMIKUDOS ("Smikydos"), in front of the seated student EUDUMIDES ("Eudymides"), in front of the young boy TLEMPOMENOS ("Tlempomenos"), in front of the bearded spectator is written [D]EMETRIOS ("Demetrios"), behind his back NAIZÔN. Painted in red are also the knobs of the teacher's lyre, a ribbon decorating one of its arms, and the right wrist of the teacher. The muscles and the folds of the clothes are indicated in diluted brown varnish. The image shows few outline incisions and preliminary sketching.

Shoulder: The panel on the shoulder of the vessel extends to the same width as the image decorating the belly. It is a symposium scene with two reclining hetairai. Both women are bare breasted. Their muscles and the folds of their clothes are clearly incised. Both women are holding skyphoi. There is an inscription, KALOI ("[they are] beautiful"), retrograde to the left of the left woman, another, SOITEÊDI (?), between the two women, and a third, EUPSUMIDEI ("Euthymides"), to the right of the right woman.

Inscriptions:

On Side A next to the warrior's helmet is inscribed in white KALOS, below it KALE. In front of the old man's head is again written KALOS ("[he is] beautiful"), above the mother's head KALE ("[she is] beautiful"). On the shoulder, KALOI ("[they are] beautiful") is inscribed retrograde to the left of the left woman. SOITENDI (?) is inscribed between the two women. To the right of the right most woman is inscribed EUPSUMIDEI ("Euthymides").

Collection History: Collection Candelori.

Sources Used: CVA, Munich 20, 5, 41-42, pl. 222, 1, and 223, 1-2.

Other Bibliography: Lullies 1953, 10, 14f., 31, pls. 33-35; Marrou, Histoire de l' éducation dans l'antiquité; Richter 1958, 56.

(Jutta Bruhn)