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141
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- Amphora with painted decoration, Heracles killing the Quee…
See original version (French)
141
-
- Amphora with painted decoration, Heracles killing the Quee…
See original version (French)
Estimate €800 - €1,200
Voluntary lot
Description
- Amphora
with painted decoration, Heracles killing the Queen of the Amazons
Polychrome terracotta.
Slight wear to decoration, one handle restored, small chips to neck.
Greece, 6th century BC
H: 19.5 cm; D: 11.5 cm
Provenance: Public sale, Laurin-Guilloux-Buffetaud-Tailleur, Hôtel des ventes Drouot, Paris, 17/11/1978, catalogue no. 32.
This black-figured amphora illustrates one of the most frequently depicted battles in archaic Greek ceramics: the duel between Heracles and Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, the ninth of the hero's twelve labours. Sent by Eurystheus to seize Hippolyta's magic belt, a gift from Ares, Heracles confronts the Amazons - a people of legendary female warriors living on the edge of the known world - in a battle that symbolises the victory of civilised order over savage, foreign forces. The scene, rendered with the vigour and dramatic tension characteristic of 6th-century Attic black-figure ceramics, illustrates the mastery of Greek vase painters in narrative composition. The register of palmettes on the neck and the quality of the black glaze underline the careful craftsmanship of this piece.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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