Attic Pottery - Black-Figure Ware: Sherd from an Attic Black-figure Cup

Inv. No.: 66.012
Provenance: Attica
Date: second half of 6th century BC
Height: original diameter of cup c. 170 mm
 
Gift of the Museum of Classical Archaeology, Cambridge

A large fragment of a black-figure cup or kylix which includes one handle and part of the rounded bowl. The handle is the usual shape for such cups, round in cross section and curving up beside the bowl. The colours are the red of the clay with black used for the figures. Black is also used for the interior and to accent areas such as the exterior of the handle and the lower part of the bowl. The figures include a seated Dionysos looking towards a warrior with a shield to the right of the handle and a horse and rider plus the lower half of a running man to the left. Black vines form the background for all figures and there is an upright ivy leaf under the handle. The black is abraded in places.

 

Function:
Fragment of a drinking cup or kylix

Manufacture:
The bowl was thrown on the wheel while the handle was shaped by hand and attached to the bowl with slip.

Decoration:

1. The exterior of the cup is reserved with a brown-black ring around the top of the lip, three narrow brown rings beneath the figured scene, followed by a reserved ring, a black ring, another reserved ring and a wide black band which continues to where the foot was once attached.
2. The underside of the handle is painted black.
3. To the right of the handle is Dionysos in profile, facing right and seated on a barrel. In one hand he holds a branched vine trail which has bunches of grapes. To his right is the naked figure of a warrior who is shown in profile, holding a shield and advancing to the right. To the left of the handle is a youth mounted on a horse who walks to the right. Both horse and rider are shown in profile, facing right. To the left of the horse are the legs of a figure who strides to the right with right leg advanced. There are vines in the ground of this part of the scene as well. The painting is done roughly and cursory incision is used for details of anatomy and clothing on all figures. Underneath the handle is an upright ivy leaf with a stem.
4. The interior is painted black with a reserved circle in the centre. This is framed by three brown rings.

Comparanda:
Boardman, J., Athenian Black Figure Vases, London, Thames and Hudson, 1991, Fig. 290.1 (seated Dionysos on the exterior of an eye cup).

Brijder, H. A. G., Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, The Netherlands 8, Amsterdam 2 (1996), Plates 137 - 139. , Italia 23, Capua 2, III H, Tavola 10, 2 and 7 (similar cups).

Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum

Follmann, A-B., Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, Deutschland 34, Hannover 1 (1971), Tafel 28, 1-3 and 4-5 (similar cups).

Genière, J. de La, Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum, France 20, Laon 1 (undated), Plate 23, 1, 3, 5 and 2, 4, 6 (similar cups).

Moore, M. B. and M. Z. P. Philippides, Attic Black-Figured Pottery (Volume 23 of The Athenian Agora: Results of Excavations Conducted by the American School of Classical Studies at Athens), Princeton, New Jersey, The American School of Classical Studies at Athens, 1986, Plate 113, 1769, 1780.