Black-Figure Amphora

Groups of bearded men form the decoration on both sides of this Athenian black‑figure amphora. On the front, two nude men dance between two clothed onlookers; on the back, three nude men appear to dance around a fourth clothed man. As was typical in the work of the Affecter - an Athenian vase-painter (active 540-520 B.C.) whose modern name derives from his figures' exaggerated postures - both dancers and observers gesticulate strongly. Some scholars interpret the figures on the back of the vase as dancing, while others see a scene of courtship. 

Like so much Athenian decorated pottery, this amphora was probably made for export to Etruria, and it bears a merchant's mark under the foot. The Etruscans imported large quantities of Greek vases, and some Athenian workshops appear to have focused on this market, adapting their product to Etruscan tastes.