Μικρά αγγεία, μικρές στιγμές: ΙΙ. Οι ερυθρόμορφες λήκυθοι του Μουσείου Μπενάκη

Abstract

This paper presents the red-figured lekythoi in the vase collection of the Benaki Museum. They date to the fifth century BC and must come from rural Attic cemeteries, and in particular from SE Attica; Boeotia is another possible provenance. The lekythoi are mainly decorated with emblematic, youthful figures, taken from larger compositions. The youths are represented as athletes, mantled citizens and jugglers, whereas females are pouring libations, carrying a thyrsos, fleeing some amorous pursuer or depicted as nuptial attendants or as generic marriageable maidens in the women's quarters. A particularly rare  example, an unattributed black-bodied lekythos, has a youthful exploit of Theseus (the encounter with Skiron) depicted on its shoulder. The lekythos by the Berlin Painter, depicting a Nike decking a tripod with a festive fillet, is of exceptional artistic quality. Nikai and a siren are legendary and possibly intermediary figures, while owls are the only animals depicted. The visual language of the lekythoi is succinct and emblematic. Their repertory is suitable for such small, yet perhaps luxury vessels, which were intended to be used in life and/or death. Vase-painters identified on the Benaki Museum examples are: the Bowdoin Painter, the Berlin Painter, the Karlsruhe Painter, the Dessypri Painter, the Aischines Painter, and the Beth Pelet Painter. Moreover one lekythos recalls the Seireniske Painter, while two others are tentatively assigned to the Painter of Prague 774 and to the Group of Harvard 2685 respectively.