Apulian Red-Figure Krater with Mascarons

A: in a naiskos, a youth, nude except for a red cloak over his shoulders, in front of his horse, and an attendant (now almost completely lost). Hanging down his back is a petasos, and he holds a spear in his left hand, the reins of the horse in his right. In the field behind him is a cuirass. Outside the naiskos, in the upper left, is a seated youth, nude except for drapery behind him, who wears a wreath and holds in his left hand a sheathed sword and in his right, a spear. A helmet is in the field in front of him. At the lower left stands a draped woman holding in her left hand a phiale and in her right, a situla. In the upper right a nude youth sits on drapery, holding a berried branch in his left hand and a pilos and wreath in his right. In the lower right stands a woman holding a situla in her left hand and dish in her right.

Neck: Nike driving a biga to left; Eros in front, holding in his right hand a staff and in his left, the reins of the right-hand horse. In the field below the horses are plants and a hare.

B: in a naiskos, a youth in red-figure, nude except for a wreath on his head, seated to left on drapery but looking right; he holds a staff in his left hand and a phiale in his right. In the field are a dotted wreath and an ivy leaf. Outside, in the upper left, a nude, wreathed youth sits to left on drapery looking back and holds a branch in his right hand. In the lower left a woman holding a long-handled patera (?) in her right hand bends forward over one raised foot. In the upper right, sitting on folded drapery, is a nude youth; his upper torso is missing. In the lower right a woman holding a fillet with both hands bends forward over her raised right foot.

The krater has a broad mouth, with an overhanging lip in two degrees; fillet at join of mouth to neck; concave neck, with upper part slightly offset; sloping shoulder; ovoid body. High volute handles, flanged in section, above vertical loop handles; on the volutes, plastic masks; plastic swan heads at join to shoulder. Pedestal foot with edge in two degrees and with narrow indented band at join to body.

A, side of lip: egg pattern; under lip: wave. Neck: band with white zigzag on black; between two reserved bands, a berried laurel wreath with central rosette, its leaves alternately reserved and white, with several leaves missing. Shoulder: between two reserved bands, tongues separated by black stripes; egg pattern and reserved band.

B, side of lip: egg pattern; under lip: wave. Neck: black band in relief; between two reserved bands, a berried laurel wreath with central rosette. The main panel is filled with two superposed palmette-fans with side scrolls and enclosed palmette-fans. Shoulder: as for A.

Around body, below pictures: meander pattern interspersed with hollow squares. Below handles, two superposed palmette-fans; on either side, a palmette and scroll pattern, as on preceding vase.

Handle-medallions: A, white female masks with hair, diadems, and facial details in dilute glaze. B, female masks with red flesh and black glaze for hair, zigzag pattern on diadems, and facial details.

After Jentoft-Nilsen, M. R. and Trendall, A.D., CVA Malibu 3 (1990).