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Vase Catalog Number: London 1971.11-1.1
Images | Browse Images| Collection: | London, British Museum | ||
| Summary: | Wedding of Peleus and Thetis; animal friezes. | ||
| Ware: | Attic Black Figure | Shape: | Dinos |
| Painter: | Signed by Sophilos | Potter: | |
| Context: | Region: | ||
| Date: | 580 B.C. | Period: | Archaic |
| Dimensions: | Total H. 0.71 m., H. Bowl 0.28 m., D. Rim 0.326 m., Max. D. Bowl 0.415 m., H. (Stand) 0.47 m., D. Base (Stand) 0.331 m. | ||
| Primary Citation: | |||
Decoration:
Bowl: four registers of decoration. Upper register: wedding of Peleus and Thetis, and procession of gods to the palace of Peleus. The palace is at the right of the frieze, apparently distyle in antis, the two columns painted white with Doric capitals, the antae painted black and with different capitals. The entablature is simple, with minimal black triglyphs separating wide white metopes. Behind the porch is a double door painted red with red circles representing bronze studs. To the left of the left-hand column is the artist's signature, SOPHILOS MEGRAPHSEN, "Sophilos painted me." Peleus stands in front of his palace, wearing a white chiton, a red cloak with a wavy border, and red boots, and he holds a kantharos in his right hand in greeting. His lips are parted as if talking. In front of him, Iris, the messenger goddess, arrives leading the other deities to the wedding. She wears winged red boots and a short red chiton, belted at the waist and tied across the breasts with an elaborate buckle. She holds a staff in her right hand, and with her left points to the arriving deities behind her. Behind Iris, four goddesses: Hestia and Demeter, and behind them Chariklo and Leto. All wear white peploi decorated with red animals, monsters, florals and patterns, and red cloaks. Behind Leto's head is some preliminary sketch work which was never completed.
Behind these goddesses comes Dionysos, holding an ivy branch and wearing a long chiton and himation. He seems to be talking (to Peleus?) since his lips are parted. He forms the central figure of the procession, placed directly above the central palmette of the frieze below as on the François Vase (
Behind this procession is a series of chariots and walking deities. The first chariot carries Zeus and Hera, Zeus wearing a chiton and cloak, and holding the reins and a whip, while Hera cloaks herself with one hand while holding to the chariot with the other. Behind the black horses are three goddesses, whose names are lost but may be Horai. They wear reserved chitons like Dionysos'. Behind this group, Poseidon and Amphitrite ride in a chariot accompanied by three Charites. Next, the chariot of Ares and Aphrodite, with five Muses in an arc behind the chariot. The central Muse is fully frontal and plays a syrinx. All the Muses wear reserved chitons. Hermes drives the next chariot, accompanied by Apollo. Hermes wears a short chiton with a rosette decoration, winged boots and a petasos, and his heralds staff leans against the chariot box. Apollo plays the kithara and sings. Behind their horses walk three more Muses, one wearing a decorated peplos and cloak. The last chariot is driven by Athena, with Artemis as her companion. Artemis wears a decorated peplos and no cloak, and holds a bow; Athena, a cloak, but no aegis or other attribute. Behind their horses walk three Moirai.
Behind these chariots comes Okeanos, fish-bodied and bull-horned, holding a fish and snake, accompanied by his wife Tethys and by Eileithyia. The procession is ended by Hephaistos riding on an mule, wearing a white chiton and apparently riding side-saddle on a swan-headed saddle (as on the François Vase; one frontal foot is preserved).
Below this register, three registers of animal friezes: bulls, boars, lions, deer, panthers, goats, sphinxes, birds, and an elaborate lotus and palmette ornament under the center of the procession. Stand: lotus and palmette chain and animal friezes.
The subject of the wedding of Peleus and Thetis was painted by Sophilos on another, very similar krater, fragments of which were found on the Athenian Acropolis (
Inscriptions:
Signed by Sophilos as painter: (retr.) SOPHILOS MEGRAPHSEN, "Sophilos painted me." Most figures in main frieze labelled: PELEUS, IRIS, hESTIA, DEMETE[R], [Ch]ARI&koppa;LO, LETO, DIONUSOS, hEBE, CHIRON, THEMIS, NUPHAI, ZEUS, hERA, POSEIDON, ANPHITRITE, CHARITES, ARES, APHRODITE, MOSAI, hERMES, [AP]OLON, MOSAI, ATHENAIA, ARTEMIS, OKEANOS, THETHUS, ÊILETHUA, hEPHAISTOS.
Collection History:
Purchased in 1971 by British Museum.
Shape Description:
Sources Used:
(Beth McIntosh)
Keywords:Amphitrite, animal, Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, bird, boar, boots, bow, box, bracelet, branch, building, bull, centaur, chain, chariot, Chiron, chiton, cloak, column, deer, Demeter, Dionysos, door, Doric, Eileithyia, entablature, fawn, fish, frontal, goat, god, goddess, Graces, Hebe, Hephaistos, Hera, Hermes, Hestia, himation, holding, Horai, horn, horse, Iris, ivy, kantharos, kithara, krater, Leto, lion, lotus, Moira, monster, mule, Muse, Nymph, Okeanos, palmette, Peleus, Peleus and Thetis, procession of the gods, Peleus and Thetis, wedding, peplos, petasos, porch, Poseidon, procession, rabbit, reins, riding, sandal, scepter, singing, snake, sphinx, staff, stag, swan, syrinx, Tethys, Themis, Thetis, wedding, whip, winged, Zeus
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31 Images
| Archive Number | Caption | |
|---|---|---|
| 1990.14.0052 | Dinos and stand: side A | Photograph courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum, London |
| 1990.14.0051 | Dinos and stand: side B | Photograph courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum, London |
| 1990.14.0023 | Upper frieze: wedding of Peleus and Thetis: palace of Peleus | Photograph courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum, London |
| 1990.14.0024 | Upper frieze: wedding of Peleus and Thetis: Hephaistos and Altheia | Photograph courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum, London |
| 1990.14.0025 | Upper frieze: wedding of Peleus and Thetis: Okeanos | Photograph courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum, London |
| 1990.14.0026 | Upper frieze: wedding of Peleus and Thetis: Athena and Artemis in chariot, Fates (?) behind horses | Photograph courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum, London |
| 1990.14.0027 | Upper frieze: wedding of Peleus and Thetis: Hermes and Apollo in chariot, Muses behind horses | Photograph courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum, London |
| 1990.14.0028 | Upper frieze: wedding of Peleus and Thetis: Aphrodite and Ares in chariot, Muses behind horses | Photograph courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum, London |
| 1990.14.0029 | Upper frieze: wedding of Peleus and Thetis: Amphitrite and Poseidon in chariot, Charites (Graces) behind horses | Photograph courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum, London |
| 1990.14.0030 | Upper frieze: wedding of Peleus and Thetis: Hera and Zeus in chariot, three goddesses behind horses | Photograph courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum, London |
| 1990.14.0053 | Upper frieze: wedding of Peleus and Thetis: three goddesses behind horses pulling chariot of Hera and Zeus | Photograph courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum, London |
| 1990.14.0031 | Upper frieze: wedding of Peleus and Thetis: Themis and nymphs | Photograph courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum, London |
| 1990.14.0032 | Upper frieze: wedding of Peleus and Thetis: the centaur Cheiron | Photograph courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum, London |
| 1990.14.0033 | Upper frieze: wedding of Peleus and Thetis: Hebe and Dionysos | Photograph courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum, London |
| 1990.14.0034 | Upper frieze: wedding of Peleus and Thetis: Leto and other goddesses | Photograph courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum, London |
| 1990.14.0035 | Upper frieze: wedding of Peleus and Thetis: Peleus | Photograph courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum, London |
| 1990.14.0036 | Upper frieze: wedding of Peleus and Thetis: inscription: "Sophilos painted me" | Photograph courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum, London |
| 1990.14.0050 | Middle frieze: acanthus decoration | Photograph courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum, London |
| 1990.14.0041 | Middle frieze: siren | Photograph courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum, London |
| 1990.14.0042 | Middle frieze: panther | Photograph courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum, London |
| 1990.14.0043 | Middle frieze: ram | Photograph courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum, London |
| 1990.14.0044 | Middle frieze: lion | Photograph courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum, London |
| 1990.14.0045 | Middle frieze: panther | Photograph courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum, London |
| 1990.14.0046 | Middle frieze: stag | Photograph courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum, London |
| 1990.14.0047 | Middle frieze: lion | Photograph courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum, London |
| 1990.14.0048 | Middle frieze: boar | Photograph courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum, London |
| 1990.14.0049 | Middle frieze: panther | Photograph courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum, London |
| 1990.14.0040 | Middle frieze: siren | Photograph courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum, London |
| 1990.14.0039 | Rim: lotus and palmette chain | Photograph courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum, London |
| 1990.14.0038 | From above | Photograph courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum, London |
| 1990.14.0037 | Base, from below | Photograph courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum, London |