Click image to view full screen
Black-Figure Neck-Amphora (Storage Vessel): Herakles and Nemean Lion (A); Dionysos, Satyrs, and Maenads (B)
✓ Authenticity guarantee · ✓ Specialist condition report · ✓ Insured worldwide shipping · ✓ Private-room viewing
The neck-amphora, one of the most popular vase shapes in Archaic Athens, provided painters with ample space for both figural and ornamental decoration. Herakles, the greatest of Greek heroes, performs his most famous deed on the obverse, wrestling the Nemean lion. His patron goddess Athena, together with his nephew Iolaos, holding the hero’s club, stand by. On the other side is an unrelated scene, showing the wine god Dionysos with dancing maenads and satyrs. Abundant ornament covers other areas: stylized lotus blossom and palmette chains on the neck; intricately linked palmettes and lotuses beneath each handle; and a key pattern, linked lotus buds, and rays on the lower body.
| Artist / Maker | Painter of Berlin 1899 |
|---|---|
| Date | 515–510 BCE |
| Culture / Origin | Greek, Attic |
| Medium | ceramic |
| Dimensions | Overall: 39.8 cm (15 11/16 in.); Diameter: 29 cm (11 7/16 in.) |
| Department | Greek and Roman Art |
| Type | Ceramic |
About the Artist
Painter of Berlin 1899 (Greek, Attic) Full biography →
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
Condition
A detailed condition report and high-resolution photography are available from our specialists in advance of the sale.
Shipping & Collection
Fine-art shipping with climate control and full insurance to over 120 countries; collection by appointment.
Buying at Matchless Pieces
Register, verify your identity, and bid online or in a private room. Buyer’s premium and taxes are shown before you confirm.
