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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.

Details

  • Title: Black-Figure Amphora
  • Creator: Affecter, Affecter's Potter
  • Date Created: about 540–530 B.C.
  • Location Created: Athens, Greece
  • Physical Dimensions: 38.7 × 23.5 cm (15 1/4 × 9 1/4 in.)
  • Type: Amphora
  • External Link: Find out more about this object on the Museum website.
  • Medium: Terracotta
  • Terms of Use: Open Content
  • Number: 86.AE.70
  • Culture: Greek (Attic)
  • Credit Line: The J. Paul Getty Museum, Villa Collection, Malibu, California
  • Creator Display Name: Attributed to Affecter (Greek (Attic), about 540 - 520 B.C.) and Affecter's Potter
  • Classification: Vessels (Containers)

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