Squat lekythos depicting Aphrodite and her retinue: Overview drawing of th...

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Three-dimensional approximation of the vase

Collection: London, British Museum
Summary: Aphrodite and her retinue
Ware: Attic Red Figure
Painter: In the manner of the Meidias Painter
Context: Excavated at Athens
Date: ca. 410 BC - ca. 400 BC
Dimensions: H. 0.195 m; max. diam. (body) 0.123 m
Primary Citation: ARV2, 1324.45
Shape: Squat lekythos
Beazley Number: 220599
Period: High Classical

Decoration Description: Kleopatra (labelled), standing 3/4-view to the right, wearing a belted chiton, a kekryphylon with an ornament above the forehead, a necklace with a single bead, dotted hoop earrings, raises a string of beads in her right hand, and a plate of fruit in her left hand; Eunomia (labelled), standing profile to the right, wearing a belted chiton, a long pony tail, a taenia (?), and a beaded necklace, leans with her left arm on the shoulder of Paidia (labelled), standing 3/4-view to the right, wearing a belted chiton, a high pony-tail, a band necklace, and dotted hoop earrings, holds a string of beads in both hands; a small tree; Aphrodite (labelled), seated on sloping terrain, 3/4-view to the left, legs crossed, turns to look at Eros who sits on her left shoulder; Aphrodite wears a sleeved chiton, a himation, a sphendone (?), a beaded necklace, dotted hoop earrings, and sandals; Eros wears a bracelet with one bead on his right wrist, and rests his left hand on his hip; Peitho (labelled), standing profile to the left, wearing a sleeveless, belted chiton with a kolpos, leaning over a kanoun; tree, from which Eudaimonia plucks fruit; Eudaimonia (labelled), standing 3/4-view to the left, with her weight on her right leg, wearing a peplos, a sphendone (?), dotted hoop earrings, and a single band necklace, reaches her right hand to the tree, and holds a plate of fruit to the right in her left hand.

Collection History: Excavated by Lusieri on the Mouseion Hill (acquired by the BM in 1856).

Sources Used: LIMC, 7.141 s.v. Paidia no. 5, pl. 95 (A. Kossatz-Deissmann), s.v. Peitho no. 31, pl. 180 (N. Icard-Gianolio); Shapiro 1993, 66-67, 83, 183, 203, 235 no. 21, figs. 20, 35, 142, 163; LIMC, 6.68 s.v. Kleopatra 6 no. 1, pl. 34 (M. Page-Gasser); Add2, 364; Boardman 1989a, fig. 302; LIMC, 4.47 s.v. Eudaimonia 1 no. 7 (H.A. Shapiro), 64 s.v. Eunomia no. 8, pl. 28 (A. Kossatz-Deissmann); Burn 1987, 32-40, 33, 111 MM 74, pl. 20a-b; LIMC, 2.122 s.v. Aphrodite no. 1271 (A. Delivorrias); Simon & Hirmer 1976, pl. 219; Para, 478; Hamdorf 1964 111 no. 440c; Hibbs 1961 76, fig. 94; EAA 4 (1961) 979 s.v. Pittore di Meidias (E. Paribeni), fig. 1169; Papadaki 1960 118; R.M. Cook, Greek Painted Pottery (London 1960) pl. 46b; Walter 1959 , 28 fig. 21; Hampe 1955, 119b, 120; Langlotz 1954, pl. 1.5; Métzger 1951, 18 n. 4; Becatti 1947, 15 pl. 15.1; Speier 1932, 47 pl. 14.1; FR 2.99-100 pl. 28.2; Ducati 1909, 112; Smith 1896, 345-46 (with previous bibliography); Nicole 1908, pl. 7.1; CIG 8361; Jahn 1865, 4; O. Jahn, Peitho, die Göttin der Überredung (Griefswald 1846) 27; C. Lenormant and J. de Witte, Élite des monuments céramographiques 4 (Paris 1861) pl