The Judgment of Animals in Classical Greece: Animal Sculpture and ...

necropolis of Trebenishte, but of uncertain origin of manufacture, and also from a sixth-
century, bronze appliqué relief figure of a man found in Edessa and thought to have been
part of the decoration of a Laconian krater. 531 Dated to 560-550 B.C., the first krater
from Trebenishte was found in a tomb (no. I) in 1918. 532 It is a volute krater similar to
that from Vix, but of smaller size (e.g., 68cm high) (Fig. 26). 533 Its neck is decorated
with a continuous frieze of five appliqué relief figures of cows that walk to the right. 534
One side of the neck bears three cows, thus suggesting that the other side, which
currently bears only two, had originally three. Like the appliqué figures on the Vix
krater, Greek lettering on the back of these cows indicates the same method for correctly
positioning them on the neck. 535 Where exactly this krater was originally manufactured
is a topic of scholarly debate; Corinth, Laconia, and South Italy have all been considered
potential candidates. 536
The second bronze volute krater from Trebenishte was found in a tomb (no.
VIII) in 1930 and has been dated to around 500 B.C. (Fig. 27). 537 Owing to its poor state
of preservation and subsequent heavy restoration, its exact height has not been securely
established, but its size has been thought to be similar to that of the previous krater from
Trebenishte. 538 Each side of its neck is decorated with two appliqué relief figures of
531
For a recent account of the history of excavations at the necropolis of Trebenishte, see M. C. Stibbe,
Trebenishte. The Fortunes of an Unusual Excavation (Studia Archaeologica 121; Rome, 2003).
532
B. D. Filow, Die archaische Nekropole von Trebenischte am Ochrida-See (Berlin and Leipzig, 1927)
39-47 (Sofia, NM no inventory number).
533
Stibbe, The Sons of Hephaistos 59, n. 14.
534
Stibbe, Trebenishte 75-78, figs. 33-37.
535
For both the suggestion that these cows were the work of two different artists, and also the lettering on
their backs, see Stibbe, The Sons of Hephaistos 59, n. 16.
536
For these suggestions, see Stibbe, The Sons of Hephaistos 63.
537
N. Vulić, “Das neue Grab von Trebenishte,” JdI 45 (1930) 299 (Belgrade, NM 174/1).
538
Stibbe, The Sons of Hephaistos 88, n. 156.
274