Vase Catalog Number: Boston 10.198

Essay: C & B No. 119

From the Ruspoli collection at Cervetri. Part, Mon. Piot 9 pp. 161-2 (Pottier); I, Mon. Piot 20 pl. 8, 1 (Rizzo); I, MFA. Bull. 9 (1911) p. 52 (Caskey). Augmented since by two fragments in Leipsic, identified by Langlotz, and others in Oxford, identified by myself. I, sphinx. A, Dionysos and satyr. B, komos. At each handle a pair of Pegasi. About 510 B.C., by Skythes (Rizzo VA. p. 22 no. 8; Att. V. p. 41 no. 15; ARV.1 p. 75 no. 18; ARV.2 p. 84 no. 19).

The cup is of delicate make, with foot of Type C, but without the offset rim which is usual in cups of that type. Underneath, the bottom of the bowl is decorated with a dot within two circles. The handles are missing.

Inside, the sphinx stands on a ground-line, with the left fore-paw raised and set against the line-border. The front of this fore-paw is missing, with a stretch of the border above it. The outline of the hair is incised. Red for the wreath (hardly visible in our reproduction), which curls round the back of the head three-dimensionally, as usual in Skythes, and for the inscription E[P]ILUK[OS] KALOS.

Outside on one half, Dionysos moves quickly to right, followed by a satyr holding a wineskin. Dionysos wears a long chiton, and a himation over both shoulders. He was doubtless looking back. Red for the inscription KA . . ..

On the other half, komos. A naked youth runs to right, a stick in his right hand, an oinochoe held out in his left. He is preceded by another youth, partly in back-view, who looks round, extending his left arm with his himation hung over it, and flourishing his stick. Red for his wreath. The hair-contour is incised.

Under each handle there was a floral design: parts of the tendrils remain. To left and right of each handle is a prancing Pegasus. One at least of the horses under the right handle was muzzled; those under the left handle are bridled but not muzzled.

Relief-contours throughout.

'Handle-animals' are a rather common motive in red-figured cups of this period, as well as earlier in black-figured cups: sphinxes, griffins, pegasi. Pegasi on a cup by the Nikosthenes Painter in Castle Ashby, and truncated on a late cup by Oltos in Bologna.(Note iii.13.1) The composition is different when the animals are turned towards the middle of the half instead of towards the handles: pegasi on a cup by Epiktetos in London, on a cup in his manner in Villa Giulia, and on a London cup in the manner of the Nikosthenes Painter.(Note iii.13.2) Intermediate, when the animals front the handles, but turn their heads round towards the middle.(Note iii.13.3)

Skythes draws sticks with gusto: with ours, cudgel-like, compare that on the signed cup in Villa Giulia(Note iii.13.4) and those on the outside of the New York cup by a kindred soul, the Hegesiboulos Painter.(Note iii.13.5) These sticks have a comical appearance: like master, like stick.

iii.13.1) Castle Ashby: Hoppin ii p. 285; BSR 11 pl. 7, 4, pl. 6, and p. 17: ARV.1 p. 98 no. 6; ARV.2 p. 124 no. 7. Bologna 361: CV. pl. 1, 3, pl. 3, and pl. 4, 4-5: ARV.1 p. 41 no. 93: ARV.2 p. 65 no. 113.

iii.13.2) London E 35: Jb. 44, pp. 182-3, 150, and 197 fig. 41: ARV.1 p. 47 no. 36; ARV.2 p. 74 no. 38. Villa Giulia; ARV.1 p. 52 no. 4; ARV.2 p. 79 no. 3. London E 11: WV. D pl. 4; Hoppin ii. p. 289: ARV.1 p. 99 no. 17; ARV.2 p. 129 no. 22.

iii.13.3) Dev. p. 56.

iii.13.4) Mon. Piot 20 pl. 6 and pl. 7, 1, whence Hoppin ii. pp. 412-13; CV. pl. 23 and pl. 26, 1: ARV.1 p. 74 no. 13; ARV.2 pp. 83-84 no. 14.

iii.13.5) FR. pl. 93, 2, whence Hoppin ii p. 11; AJA. 1958 pl. 37 (Bothmer): ARV.1 p. 77; ARV.2 p. 175.

Keywords:

chiton, Dionysos, himation, holding, horse, komos, naked, oinochoe, Pegasos, reins, running, satyr, sphinx, stick, wineskin

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