Attic Black Figure Lekythos

Attic Black Figure Lekythos

6th century BCE

Unknown (Greek)

Greek, Attic

Style/Period: Attic; Black-figure

Repository: Museum of Classical Antiquities, University of Ottawa / Musée d'antiquités gréco-romaines, Université d'Ottawa

containers|decorative art|religious and cult objects

Materials/Techniques: terracotta (clay material); black-figure vase painting

Measurements: 19.5 cm high; 5.45 cm wide (base); 6.5 cm deep; 4.6 cm long (handle).

The Greek heroes Ajax and Achilles are shown engaged in a board game with dice; the goddess Athena stands in the center behind the figures, presiding. The border above the composition is adorned with a pattern of dots, and the shoulder with a pattern of tongues. The border below the composition is a continuous black band, which defines the ground plane. The rest of the body and the foot are black. This lekythos shows a variation of the black figure style and technique. The figures are rendered in silhouette and the details are incised, however instead of leaving the background in reserve, it has been painted over with a white slip. This technique does not require the three stage firing with oxidation phases used for black figure; thus, the clay visible where the paint has worn off is buff in colour, rather than red.

Greek; mythology; Ajax; Achilles; Athena; Trojan War; Troy; black figure vase paintings; vase; lekythoi

Repository Accession Number: 980.4.1

Record: UO-MCA-980-4-1

Cataloguer: Morgan Weir, University of Ottawa; Curator Antonia Holden

Photographer: Mélissa Mourez, University of Ottawa; Niġel Klemenčič-Puglisevich, Carleton University

Image Date: 2018-02-16

The images are provided by the Museum of Classical Antiquities, University of Ottawa. For contact information, visit the Museum website: https://arts.uottawa.ca/cla-srs/en/museum | Les images sont fournies par le Musée d'antiquités gréco-romaines de l'Université d’Ottawa. Visitez le site du musée pour les coordonnées : https://arts.uottawa.ca/cla-srs/fr/musee