Ure Museum Database



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Accession_Number REDMG:1953.25.23
Shape Lekythos
Shape_description Chimney mouth (missing), offset from a tall cylindrical neck, which broadens to a flat shoulder. Small strap handle arches up from alongside the neck and rejoins at the bottom of the shoulder; below a carination at shoulder is a cylindrical body, tapering towards the base, and then sharply narrowing to a short stem, attached to a moulded pedestal foot, with a profile that is concave above convex; the flat base has a conical indentation at centre.
Material Terracotta
Fabric Attic
Fabric_description
Munsell_color 5YR 6/6
Decoration Mouth black outside; reserved neck; black on exterior of handle; band of black vertical bars above band of black rays on shoulder. Body (at front, only): black line; two rows of black dots alternating with white dots; two black lines; figural scene. Body, below: black band, black line, broad black band, black line, black to foot and on top of foot; black band on lower part of concave element; otherwise reserved. Figural scene depicts a male figure wrestling a bull. The figures are flanked by trees with black and white fruits and thin vines. The hero’s clothes hang on the left tree and his quiver hangs above him. While this scene might depict either Herakles with the Cretan bull or Theseus with the (same) bull of Marathon, the incisions on the head covering (slightly stippled) suggest that this is a schematic rendering of Herakles’ lion-scalp helmet. Added white is used for the rendering of details such as fruit on trees, as well as the forepart of the bull, and his tail, while incision is used to indicate the drapery, quiver, and musculature of the hero, as well as his head covering. On attribution, cf. CVA Cambridge 1, pls. 22, 21.
Inscriptions
Condition Mouth missing. The surface has flaked away on much of the object, and it is pitted at the back; base and top of foot are chipped.
Technique/Style Black figure; added white; incised
Provenance
Period Classical
Date 500-450
Dating_details
Artist Haimon Group
Attribution Perhaps by
Image

2001.99.0076.jpg
Left side view of an Attic black-figure lekythos, depicting Herakles (or Theseus) and the bull.

2001.99.0077.jpg
3/4-left side view of an Attic black-figure lekythos, depicting Herakles (or Theseus) and the bull.

2001.99.0078.jpg
Front view of an Attic black-figure lekythos, depicting Herakles (or Theseus) and the bull.

2001.99.0079.jpg
3/4-right side view of an Attic black-figure lekythos, depicting Herakles (or Theseus) and the bull.

2001.99.0080.jpg
Right side view of an Attic black-figure lekythos, depicting Herakles (or Theseus) and the bull.

2001.99.0081.jpg
Back view of an Attic black-figure lekythos.

2001.99.0082.jpg
Oblique view from above of an Attic black-figure lekythos, showing its broken neck.

2003.93.0388.jpg
Front view of an Attic black-figure lekythos, depicting Herakles (or Theseus) and the bull.

2003.93.0389.jpg
Right side view of an Attic black-figure lekythos, depicting Herakles (or Theseus) and the bull.

2003.97.0456.jpg
Oblique view, from slightly above, of the left side of an Attic black-figure lekythos, depicting Herakles (or Theseus) and the bull.

2003.97.0457.jpg
Oblique view, from slightly above, of right right side of an Attic black-figure lekythos, depicting Herakles (or Theseus) and the bull.

2003.97.0458.jpg
Top view of Attic black-figure lekythos with broken mouth.

2003.97.0459.jpg
Bottom view of Attic black-figure lekythos, showing the reserved base.

2005.99.0076.jpg
Front view of an Attic black-figure lekythos, showing the broken neck and part of the exterior decoration.

2005.99.0077.jpg
Front view of an Attic black-figure lekythos, depicting Herakles (or Theseus) and the bull.

2005.99.0078.jpg
Front view of an Attic black-figure lekythos, showing the broken neck and part of the exterior decoration.

2005.99.0079.jpg
Front view of an Attic black-figure lekythos, showing the broken neck and handle.

2005.99.0080.jpg
Front view of an Attic black-figure lekythos, showing the broken neck and part of the exterior decoration.

2005.99.0081.jpg
Oblique view of an Attic black-figure lekythos on its side, showing the base.

2005.99.0082.jpg
Front view of part of an Attic black-figure lekythos, depicting Herakles (or Theseus) and the bull.

2005.99.0083.jpg
Front view of part of an Attic black-figure lekythos, depicting Herakles (or Theseus) and the bull.

2005.99.0084.jpg
Front view of part of an Attic black-figure lekythos, depicting Herakles (or Theseus) and the bull.
Comparanda
Bibliography
Archive_Ref
Beazley_DB
Height
Diameters Neck (min.) 1.6, shoulder 5.5, base 5.0
Handle_height 3.6
Other_dims. Pres. H. 17.0
Location Myth and religion
Edited_by Denise; Amy; Kinsey
Date_edited 23.08.2002; 09.09.2004; 11.01.2006
The Ure Museum is part of
The University of Reading, Whiteknights, PO Box 217, Reading, RG6 6AH