Vase Catalog Number: London E 439

Decoration:

Side A: Dionysos Mainomenos ("the frenzied Dionysos"). Dionysos walks to the left, his hands held above his head. In his right hand, which is raised before him, he holds the hindquarters of a fawn (or kid) which he has torn in half. He holds the forequarters in his other hand. He looks downward with his eyes wide open and staring. An ivy wreath is in his hair, and he wears a loose-fitting, crinkly chiton which falls in even folds below the red belt at his waist. A spotted panther's skin flung around his shoulders, with the paws tied at the neck. His feet are clad in high, laced boots.

While it is common to see maenads, the followers of Dionysos, tearing up animals, it is unusual to see the god himself doing this (Maffre, 204).

Side B: A satyr walks to the right, playing auloi. He wears an ivy wreath in his hair, which falls in long ringlets on his neck and over his bald forehead. In front of his face is the inscription KOM[OS] ("song").

At the mouth of the vessel are two rows of dotted egg-pattern, on the shoulder are tongues. The lower border on both sides is a meander alternating with cross-squares. The decoration is Nolan style, but the small palmette at the base of the handles is not orthodox (Philippaki, 54).

Inscriptions:

On Side B, in front of the satyr's face is the inscription KOM[OS] ("song").

Parallels:

In shape and style, compare to a vase in the Pomerance Collection ARV2, 298 and 1643 (Philippaki, 53)

Sources Used:

Smith 1896, 233; J. Maffre "Quelques scènes mythologiques sur des fragments de coups attiques de la fin du style sévère," RA 2 (1982) 203- 205, fig. 6; D. Paquette L'Instrument de Musique dans la Céramique de la Grèce antique (Paris, 1984), 39, fig. A4

Other Bibliography:

H. Kenner Das Phänomen der verkehrten Welt in der griechische-romischen Antike (Bonn, 1970), 121, fig. 34; LIMC, III pl. 312, Dionysos 151

(Anne Leinster)