Handle zone: decoration

Side B: Iris, upper half

Side A: Iphikles and Alkmene, upper half

Side A: Herakles and Iphikles

Side A: woman at left, upper half

Side B: Hermes, upper half

Collection: Paris, Musée du Louvre
Summary: Side A: Infant Herakles and snakes. Side B: Zeus sending forth Hermes and Iris.
Ware: Attic Red Figure
Painter: Attributed to the Berlin Painter
Context: Vulci
Date: ca. 480 BC - 470 BC
Primary Citation: ARV2, 208.160; Para, 343; Beazley Addenda 2, 195
Shape: Stamnos
Beazley Number: 201979
Region: Etruria
Period: Late Archaic

Date Description: Middle period with conventional drawing style

Decoration Description:

Side A: At the left, a female figure draped in chiton, wearing a stephane and bracelets, makes a gesture of conspiracy with two bent fingers (CVA, France 1, Louvre 1, pp. 41-42). She stands behind Athena who is dressed in Ionic chiton, himation and aegis, holding a spear. She raises a hand protectively over the infant Herakles who grapples with two snakes on an elaborately decorated bed with striped cushion. A himation is draped over him and his twin brother Iphicles who jumps into the arms of Alkmene. She wears a chiton, bracelets, earring, and a sakkos. At the right stands Amphitryon who raises a hand in consternation; he is draped in a himation, wears a fillet, and leans on a knurled staff. Dilute glaze is used for his musculature as well as Herakles', Alkmene's, some of Athena's and Amphitryon's blonde hair plus his beard; added red for bracelets, Amphitryon's fillet, and the ribbon around Athena's chignon.

Side B: Hermes departs to the left wearing his winged boots, chitoniskos patterned in dilute glaze, chlamys, petasos (tied on with added red), and holding his kerykeion; his musculature and long hair is done partly in dilute glaze. Zeus standing in the center is dressed in Ionic chiton (with dilute glaze folds) and himation, wears an added red fillet, and holds his long scepter and thunderbolt (with added red). He dispatches both Hermes and Iris. Winged Iris runs to the right wearing Ionic chiton (with dilute glaze pleats) and himation, added red bracelets, and stephane. Her chignon is tied in added red. She is winged and carries a kerykeion.

The border below the reserve groundline has two joined meanders alternating left and right with crosses. A tongue pattern encircles the bases of the handles and the rim. Palmettes and buds are above and below handles.

Shape Description: Special long-necked shape. Displayed with a lid.

Graffiti: Incised sign on the base of the foot.

Collection History: Once in the Durand collection.

Sources Used: CVA, France 9, Louvre 6, pp. 41-42, plate 55, 1-6; Boardman 1985b, 94-95