Vase Catalog Number: Toledo 1955.225

Decoration:

Side A: Amazonomachy. In the center, Herakles attacks Andromache to his right, aiming his sword at her mid-section and grasping her helmet by the crest support. Herakles is wearing his lionskin and a chitoniskos, as well as a baldric from which are slung his scabbard and quiver. Andromache is fleeing to the right, turning her head to look back at her attacker. In addition to her helmet, she wears a corslet, nebris, and chitoniskos, and a baldric over her left shoulder to attach her scabbard. She carries a spear and shield with tripod device; the shield is positioned to protect her from Herakles's sword. To the left of Herakles, an Amazon archer flees to the left, while looking back over her shoulder at the fight. The archer wears a cap, chitoniskos, nebris and quiver; she is holding a bow in her left hand. To the right of Andromache, an Amazon hoplite approaches in defense, wearing an Attic helmet, corslet, and chitoniskos, and carrying a spear and shield with a partly visible white ball as device. Her scabbard is hanging from a baldric over her right shoulder.

Added red is used for the skirt of the archer's chitoniskos, the border of her quiver, folds in Herakles's skirt, the borders of Andromache's and her defender's shields and the skirts of their chitoniskoi. Added white is seen on the flesh of the three Amazons, Herakles's baldric, sword hilt, dot clusters on his chitoniskos skirt, the shield devices and baldrics of Andromache and her defender, the dotted inner edges of their skirts, and a few dots on the crest of Andromache's helmet and the hilt of her defender's sword.

Side B: warriors leaving home. In the center, a naked, bearded warrior is attaching a greave to his left leg, spreading the sides to fit it onto his calf. He has already attached the right greave. In front of him stands a woman in chiton and himation, holding a pair of spears and a Boeotian shield with two panther masks as device. Facing the naked warrior from behind stands an already armed warrior with high-crested Corinthian helmet, round shield, greaves, and two spears. This warrior's shield device appears to be a ploughshare. On the extreme left, facing the two warriors from behind, stands an elderly man wearing chiton and himation. Behind the woman on the right stands a third warrior dressed and armed like the second with Corinthian helmet, shield, greaves, and a pair of spears. The device on this warrior's shield is a bull's head. Like the other figures he stands passive yet ready for action, watching the scene in the center.

Added red on this side appears in every other fold of the older man's himation, the border of the left-hand warrior's shield, the arming warrior's hair and beard, three folds of the woman's himation, the border of the shield she holds, as well as the dots on the border of the right-hand warrior's shield. Added white includes the older man's hair and clusters of dots on his himation, the three shield devices, the woman's flesh and clusters of dots on her himation.

The vessel has triple handles, unglazed inside; surrounding them are nearly identical triple lotus and quadruple palmette designs. The shoulder of the vessel has tongues that alternate black and red. A molded ridge separates the shoulder from the neck, whose design is a double chain of lotus and palmette, with added red at the cores of each and at the tips of some lotuses. The surface of the mouth is reserved; its interior and that of the neck are glazed. Under the main panel appears a thin groundline, followed by a left-pointing key pattern, a chain of buds, and a band of rays. A red base fillet completes the design. The foot is reserved underneath.

Graffiti:

A graffito is also found under the foot.

Inscriptions:

The remains of a dipinto can be seen on the underside of the foot.

Parallels:

Amazonomachies with Herakles and three or more Amazons are discussed by von Bothmer 1957, pp. 53 ff..

Condition:

Added white mostly modern.

Sources Used:

CVA, USA fasc. 17, pp. 5-6, pls. 7-8

Other Bibliography:

von Bothmer 1957, 61-63, 225; Brommer 1960, p. 9, no. 90,12; Washington 1962, p. 84; Para., p. 120, no. 38; Luckner 1972, pp. 64-65; Brommer 1973, p. 12, no. 92.

(Deirdre Beyer-Honça)