Dionysiac scene
Red-figured bell-krater. Paestum.
Attributed to the Python Painter.
Clay.
Ca. 360—320 BCE.
Height 56.5, diam. 51.5 cm, weight 12.5 kg.
Inv. No. 1890,0210.1.London, British Museum

Dionysiac scene.

Red-figured bell-krater. Paestum.
Attributed to the Python Painter.
Clay.
Ca. 360—320 BCE.
Height 56.5, diam. 51.5 cm, weight 12.5 kg.
Inv. No. 1890,0210.1.

London, British Museum.

Origin:
From St. Agata dei Goti. Purchased from George James Howard, 9th Earl of Carlisle, 1890.
Description:
Pottery: red-figured bell-krater (wine-bowl).

Designs in panels, red on black ground, with accessories of white and purple. Above the designs, laurel-wreath; under the handles, palmette-patterns; below the designs, wave-pattern.

(b) Dionysiac scene: In the centre is Dionysos, moving to right and looking to left, beardless, with long curls, round which is a taenia tied at the back, shoulder-belt with white dots, chlamys with border of dots over left arm, shoes, thyrsos in left hand, to which is tied a purple taenia; in right hand a wreath from which hangs a purple taenia. On either side is a Maenad dancing to right, the one on the right looking back. The one on the left has long curls, wreath, necklace, bracelets, long girt chiton and apoptygma reaching to the hips with borders of wave-pattern and dots, fastened with fibulae on the shoulders, shoes, thyrsos in right hand to which a purple taenia is tied, left hand raised. The one on the right has long curls, one of which hangs down in front of her face, wreath, necklace, bracelets, long transparent chiton embroidered with dots, which has slipped off her right shoulder, thyrsos in left hand with purple taenia tied to it, wreath in right at which she is looking. On a higher level are seen the upper parts of three figures: a youthful Satyr on the left, a youthful male figure in the centre, and Pan on the right. The Satyr wears wreath and shoulder-belt of white beads, and holds out a tympanon in left hand to the youth who faces him; he has a wreath, shoulder-belt as the Satyr, and thyrsos in left hand. Pan is to left, with small beard and moustache, wreath and shoulder-belt as the others; his body is stippled all over, and part of the goat-skin is visible; his hands are raised as if in astonishment.

Credits:
(cc) 2020. Photo, text: The British Museum (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).
© The Trustees of the British Museum.
Keywords: ceramics clay terracotta ceramica keramik céramique κεραμικά southitalian southern italy mezzogiorno meridione süditalienisch süditalien suditalien νοτιοταλικό lucania lucanian lucana lukanien lukanische lucanienne λευκανία λουκανία paestum paestan pestana paestanische paestane technique tecnica vasenmalerei red figure red-figure red-figured a rosse rotfigurige rotfiguriger à figures rouges ερυθρόμορφος krater сrater cratere cratère κρατήρ κρατήρας bell campana glockenkrater cloche κωδωνόσχημος mythologia graeca greek mythology mitologia greca griechische mythologie grecque ελληνική μυθολογία dionysus dioniso dionysos διώνυσος maenas maenades maenad maenads menade menadi mänade mänaden ménade ménades μαινάδα μαινάδες mainades deus pan god dio hirtengott divinité πάν πανός satur saturus satyr satyrs satiro satiri satyrn satyre satyres σάτυρος σάτυροι satyros satyroi male footwear footgear calzatura maschile männerschuhe chaussures pour hommes ανδρικά παπούτσια thyrsus tirso thyrse θύρσος thyrsos armilla bracelet braccialetto bracciale armband armreif armspange spange βραχιόλι balteus baldric balteo wehrgehänge corona wreath kranz couronne laurea laurel di alloro laureata lorbeerkranz de lauriers δάφνινο στεφάνι youth young man giovane junge adolescent νεαρός barba barbatum beard bearded uomo barbuto bart bärtiger mann barbe homme barbu γενειάδα γενειοφόρος άνθρωπος taenia tainia band ribbon fillet tenia tänie binden tænia ténia ταινία torquis necklace collana halskette collier κολιέ chlamys clamide χλαμύδος jung jeune νέοι wave-pattern wave-like ornament wavy apoptygma with dionysian dionysiac scene scena dionisiaca dionysische szene scène dionysiaque dance dancing danza che balla danzante danzanti tanz tanzender tanzende danse dansant dansante dansent nude nudo nackt nackter nu long hair capelli lunghi lange haare cheveux longs transparent and translucent clothing abbigliamento trasparente traslucido transparente durchscheinende kleidung vêtement translucide python painter pittore vasenmaler πύθων chiton khiton chitone lungo langer χιτών tympanum tympanon τύμπανον f193 f 193 inv no 1890,0210.1