Stamnos (Attic red-figure ware)
470 BCE
Medium
earthenware
Measurements
(a-b) 37.6 × 32.8 × 26.1 cm (overall)
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased through The Art Foundation of Victoria with the assistance of the National Bank of Australasia Limited, Governor, 1980
© Public Domain
Gallery location
18th Century Decorative Arts - Great Hall Costume Corridor
Level 2, NGV International
About this work
A stamnos was a lidded container used for storing liquids. The main scene on this vessel shows Achilles, the bravest Greek warrior in the Trojan War, defeating Memnon the King of Ethiopia who fought on behalf of the Trojans. On the left, Achilles is portrayed as young and beardless, with full armour and his shield equipped with a protective leather apron. In contrast, Memnon is older, bearded and naked, his nakedness making him both heroic and vulnerable. Under each handle, each warriors’ mother rushes towards her son. The reverse side of the stamnos depicts the gods Zeus, Hermes and Hera – Hermes holding a balance to weigh the souls of the fighting warriors. These patterns are typical of the workshop of the Berlin Painter, where Hermonax was a pupil.
Artwork Details
Place/s of Execution
Attica, Greece
Accession Number
D64.a-b-1980
Department
Antiquities
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of Digitisation Champion Ms Carol Grigor through Metal Manufactures Limited
Physical description
Large, lidded vase with a stout body, short concave neck, wide mouth and disc foot. There are two short handles on either side of the upper body. The red-figure decoration runs around the vase, even under the handles. Side A: a youthful warrior on the left lunges at a bearded warrior falling to the right (Achilles v. Memnon). Under the handles, on each side, a woman rushes to help (Thetis and Eos). Side B: Zeus, Hermes and Hera in a psychostasia scene. Below the scenes is a band of meander and saltires. Around the rim is an egg pattern and on the shoulder longer tongues.