Lekythos with Boar Hunt
Xenophantos
C.380 BC
Clay; h 37 cm
This large squat lekythos was discovered during
excavations at a necropolis in Panticapaeum (Kerch), the
capital of the Bosporan Kingdom. The vase is decorated
with a hunt scene: warriors on foot, on horseback and in
chariots chasing real and fabulous animals. The
presence of the fabulous blue griffin side by side with a
real wild boar has led some scholars to assume that this
vessel was created specially for the Bosporans: local
gold coins with representations of a griffin (as the
symbol of Panticapaeum) were minted from the 4th
century BC. On the shoulders of the vessel is a band
with miniature relief figures representing gods fighting
giants. Above is the author's signature: ‘Made by
Xenophantos the Athenian.'
This lekythos is remarkable for the combination of
painting with low relief, both moulded and freely
modelled. Such a combination, together with the
polychromy and overloaded composition, are
characteristic of Athenian vessels of the time of the
decline of red-figure painting.
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