krater

Kalyx krater. Wide mouth; flaring rim; two grooves on outside of rim; flaring upper wall, offset from lower body; lower body rounded; tall, incurved handles at lower body; moulding at junction between lower body and base; grooved torus base. Orange brown clay; black glaze; ochre wash; added white. Two reserved bands on inside of rim; on outside a border of connected, diagonal, double palmettes between reserved bands; two continuous friezes on body, the upper one somewhat larger than the lower one – in the upper register Dionysos with maenads and satyrs, in the lower A: warriors leaving home and B: youth leaving home.
Upper register, A: in the centre Dionysos, in long chiton and himation, holds an ivy branch and a kantharos, and turns back towards a maenad to the left; the maenad wears a fillet, chiton and himation, and holds a lit torch and a small oinochoe; to the left of Dionysos a satyr with a thyrsos pursues a maenad in sakkos, chiton and himation, and holding a lit torch; to the right of Dionysos a satyr playing the double pipe and a maenad in peplos and red fillet, holding a thyrsos and a kantharos, turning back towards the satyr; further to the right a standing youth in chiton and himation holds a thyrsos; B: to the left a satyr reaching out for a maenad in sakkos and peplos, defending herself with two lit torches; to the right another satyr, leaning on a thyrsos, holding out a drinking horn towards a maenad; she is seated on a pile of rocks, a torch in her hand, her hair hanging down, and wears a loose chiton; further to the right a standing youth in chiton and himation holds a thyrsos and looks back. Lower register, A: to the left a woman in chiton, holding a shield, says goodbye to a bearded warrior to the right; he holds a dagger and a helmet; further to the right two youths, one in armour and one with petasos, chlamys, boots and spears; B: to the left a standing youth in chiton and himation, holding a spear, and awoman in sakkos, chiton and himation, holding a phiale and an oinochoe; to the right two youths; both youths wear a chlamys and hold spears. Below a border of meanders and saltire squares; inside of handle reserved; groove on base reserved; reserved band on lower part of base.

- Antik konst. En konstbok från Nationalmuseum (Årsbok för svenska statens konstsamlingar 6), O. Antonsson (ed.), Stockholm 1958, 97.
- J. D. Beazley, Attic Red-Figure Vase-Painters2, Oxford1963, vol.2, 1092.
- Antiken. Konst från den grekisk-romerska kulturvärlden ur svenska samlingar ... (Nationalmusei utställningskatalog 313), Stockholm 1967, 62, n°187.-
- S. Åvall, Analys av en rödfigurig attisk kalkkrater från Medelhavsmuseet (B.A. thesis, Department of Ancient Culture and Society), University of Stockholm, autumn 1994.