Maidens wearing water from a spring
Black-figured hydria. Attic.
Ca. 530—510 BCE.
Attributed to the Antimenes Painter.
Height: 47.2, width: 39.4, depth: 33.2 cm. Inv. No. 1843,1103.66.London, British Museum

Maidens wearing water from a spring.

Black-figured hydria. Attic.
Ca. 530—510 BCE.
Attributed to the Antimenes Painter.
Height: 47.2, width: 39.4, depth: 33.2 cm.
Inv. No. 1843,1103.66.

London, British Museum.

Origin:
Found in Vulci, Italy.
Purchased in 1843 from Alexandrine Bonaparte, Princess of Canino (through James Millingen).
Description:
Pottery: black-figured hydria. Designs in black on red panels, separated by maeander, with borders of ivy down the sides; accessories of white and purple.

1. On the shoulder: Departure of a warrior: In the centre a quadriga to left, into which the charioteer is stepping, bearded, in short embroidered chiton, with sword at side. In advance of him, looking back, is a warrior in a visored helmet, with spear and shield with device of three pellets. In front of the horses is an old man seated on an okladias to right, with white hair and beard, in long chiton and himation, in left hand a sceptre. On the left is a nude bearded male figure advancing to left, looking back, with left hand raised over the old man’s head. In front of him is a warrior with visored helmet, greaves, spear, shield with device of a plane-leaf, facing an old man with white hair and beard, wrapped in a himation, with sceptre in right hand. Behind the chariot is a female figure to right, in long chiton and himation over her head, facing a warrior armed as the last one, with a dolphin as device on his shield; behind him an archer to left, bearded, in peaked cap and short chiton, carrying bow and quiver.

2. On the body: Hydrophoria; On the left, part of a building with one Doric column and entablature, on the left side of which is a fountain with water pouring from a lion’s head into a hydria on a base. Before the building is a maiden to left holding out her hands under the fountain; behind her are three pairs of maidens confronted, on the way to and from the fountain and conversing; those on the way from the fountain have hydriae upright on their heads, the others horizontal. All have long tresses with fillets, and long embroidered chitons with diploidia. In the field are numerous imitation inscriptions, and between the second and third pairs from the left is inscribed: Σίμη καλή.

3. Below: Frieze of animals: Lion to right between boars (of the one on the left only the forepart is visible), and lion and boar confronted.

Curator’s comment:

Mus. Etr. p. 155; C.I.Gr. 8035; Wernicke, Lieblingsn. p. 17; Klein, Lieblingsinschr. p. 26.

Scene (2) may show preparations for a ritual known as the Hydrophoria. This took place on the second day of the spring festival of the Anthesteria, and involved the ceremonial pouring of water into a particular chasm.

Literature:
H. B. Walters, E. J. Forsdyke, C. H. Smith. Catalogue of Vases in the British Museum. I—IV. London, 1893—1925 (B336).
William Nicol. A Catalogue of the Greek and Etruscan Vases in the British Museum. London, 1851—1870 (478).
H. B. Walters. Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum: Great Britain 8, British Museum 6. London, 1931 (III H e Pl. 90, 4).
Credits:
(cc) 2020. Photo, text: The British Museum (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).
© The Trustees of the British Museum.
THE GALLERY OF ANCIENT ART
Keywords: κεραμικά ceramics clay terracotta ceramica keramik céramique ελλάδα grecia graecia hellas greece griechenland grèce αττική attika attica attic attique αθήνα athens athenian atene athen athènes technique tecnica vasenmalerei μελανόμορφη black-figure black-figured a figure nere schwarzfigurige schwarzfiguriger à figures noires ὑδρία υδρία hydria hydrie female dress clothes clothing garment abbigliamento femminile damenbekleidung vêtements pour femmes γυναικεία ρούχα ensis sword spada schwert épée ξίφος σπαθί vagina scabbard sheath fodero guaina scheide fourreau θήκη pharetra cucurum quiver faretra köcher φαρέτρα crista crest crested helmet elmo crestato kammhelm casque crête κράνος λοφίο κρωβύλος κρώβυλος aspis greek circular round shield scudo rotondo greco griechischer rundschild rundem schild bouclier rond grec ἀσπίς ασπίδα leo lion leone löwe λιοντάρι equus equi horse horses cavallo cavalli pferd pferde cheval chevaux ίππος άλογα quadriga quadrigae quadrige girl young woman ragazza mädchen mädel jeune fille κοπέλα barba barbatum beard bearded man uomo barbuto bart bärtiger mann barbe homme barbu γενειάδα γενειοφόρος άνθρωπος knemis knemides ocrea ocreae greave greaves schiniere schinieri gambiera gambieri beinschiene beinschienen cnémide cnémides κνημῖδες hasta spear lancia speer lance δόρυ taenia tainia band ribbon fillet tenia tänie binden tænia ténia ταινία capite velato caput velatum veiled with covered head sceptrum sceptre scettro zepter σκήπτρο wheel ruota rad roue τροχός tack harness finimenti geschirr harnachement rein reins redini zügel rêne rênes guides bride ηνία bridle testiera zaum zaumzeug belt cintura cingolo gurt gürtel ceinture ζώνη fons spring fonte quelle quell source πηγή testa di löwenkopf tête de κεφάλι λιονταριού meander meandros meandro mäander méandre μαίανδρος protome protomé προτομή war chariot carro da guerra kriegswagen char guerre hymation himation corinthian corinzio korinthische helm corinthien κορινθιακό antimenes painter pittore antimene antimenes-maler ζωγράφος του αντιμένη old vecchio greis alter vieux vieil vulci from viterbo chiton khiton long chitone lungo langer χιτών embroidery embroidered ricamo stickerei broderie wild boar cinghiale wildschwein keiler sanglier warrior greca guerriero griechisch krieger guerrier archer arciere bogenschütze hydrophoria carrying water portando acqua wasser tragen porter l’eau diploidia visored auriga agitator driver charioteer aurige hoplon ὅπλον hoplìtes hoplite oplita oplite hoplit ὁπλίτης οπλίτης pointed hat peaked cap cappello punta spitzer hut chapeau pointu difros diphros okladias folding stool sgabello pieghevole klappstuhl tabouret pliable δίφρος ὀκλαδίας parting separazione abschied séparation plane leaf foglia piana hobelblatt feuille d’avion emblem emblema emblème fountain house well-room casa della fontana ben-room brunnenhaus trinkhalle maison fontaine bien-chambre cargo on the merci in fracht auf dem kopf transportant du fret sur la σίμη καλή c i gr 8035 inv no 1843,1103.66
History of Ancient Rome