n - Historia Antigua

54
THE ATTIC Py:us
common aI a later date. These vases ~crc decorated by
PcnthesiJeans. The LoU\TC PYllis was painted b}' an artist "perhaps
connected with the SOIhcby Painter,'"
The BaltImore while ground pyxi'i (no. 8. PI. 221 by the Sotheby
Painter 7 should be closely connected .....ith the first grouping and
l:~pt'cially ~ith Louvre MNB 1286. The walls of the p)'xis arc
as}'mmetrical \\ith the consequence that one side ha~ a flaller
concan~ cun'e with greater strengthening 31 the base. The other
side prescllI!o a I~ complicated CUTve. The elements framing the
frieze resemble those of the white to:Tound vases Lom'rc MNB 1286
.md Boston 65.1106 (no. 11). The greater height of the foot. tall
slender stem and disk knob with bUllon differentiale it from the
foregoing examples. Athens 2188 and Geneva 10703 share the!>c
chara{"teristic~.
Athens 2188 tno. 9, PI. 23)' has been damaged greatly and the
box mended from many fragments. Ho",e\'er, the complete profile
of the vase has been preserved on one side, It is 3:lo)'mmetrical and
the cro',~.-ningbutt\ln of the knob ofT-center. The base uf the stem is
raised abo\'e the le\'el of the lid as in the Baltimore pp:is. Thilo
ppis decorated by the Painter of London 0 12, with Its slender
stem and disk with button handle and tall foot would appear also
to belong tu the first grouping.
Geneva 10763 (no. 11)' was shaped more hastily as may be seen
in the oO'-center placement of the knob on its slender stenl. The
height of the stem and foot connect it with Athens 2188 and
Baltimore 48.2019. The careless quality of the decoration
corresponds to the poller's 'A'ork. The Baltimore vase should be
dated to about 460-4SO D.e. Cardul polter's work is characteristically
underlined by the differentiation bct\\'een the le\'el of the
base of the stem and [he surface of the lid. The style of the figure
work, simple framing elements and mythological subject maller
corroborate the date, Mythological subjects appear on pyxides from
the Penthesilea Workshop of circa 460-450 B.e., but later scenes of
women in the home predominate. The height of the stem and knob
point to a slightly later stage of de\'elopmem manifestcd in Athens
2188 and panicularly Geneva 10763 whcn thc canon is used
casually and without much thought. as is typical of followers of the
potter 01 the PenthesiJea Workshop around 450-440 D.e.
The \.\ hite ground pyxis in Bcrlin (no, 10, PI. 20) by the Yeii
Paillter b connected by the height of ill> stem and knob and foot to
the la~t mentioned !:rtlUp. A glaze line frames the frieze above and
helo" and an outer frame is formed b) a black band se1 lIeXl 10
each. Such framing elements arc identical '" ith those seen 011
8ahimore 48.2019, Louvre MN8 1286 and BO!'iton 05.1166. The
squal proponions and shon ConC3\'C cun'e of the \\alls come as a
surprise. as does the widcl) proj«ting lid. The lid, hO'At'\er.
assuredl) belonglo to the vase. The underside of the lid is reddened
and d«orated by a dot within a small circle with a wider
surrounding circle, '1 he design on the bottom of the l:onlainer
matL'lleo; that undcr thl.' lid wilh the additiun of Ilnc 1Il0re outer
circle. I he lid. in addition. i~ well filled to the container. The ray'
ornamentlllg the outer wm'a\'e flangc of the lid ;Ire identical" ith
Baltimore 48.2019.
P)Xide~ of types B, C and 0 occasionally bear matching gralTiti
on lid and box." '" hile pyxides of type A ne\'cr do to Ill)
knolloled~c.1I HOIloe\'er, ~metimclo there are matching seb of
Clln('Clllric drclelo on the underside of lid and box in type A. 1 he
box almo!>t im'ariably bears these designs. When the lid bears a
m:uching !>ct of circles it seems secure that box and lid bcloll!:.
Ho\.\cvcr, many lids are merely rcscned, though evidencc Ill' pallem
borders. eolor of clay and fit indil:atl:lo a match. The probllblc
explanation lies in lhe loading of the kiln. If many pyxido ",ere to
be tired in the gi\cn kiln batch. matl;hing marks on lid and box
would he a convenience, \\hile if fev. there ",ould be little nct.·cloloil).
Another possibilit) is the degree of care expended on the
ornamcntation of a \'a~. The puller of Berlin 2201 cenainly kne\\
the canon illld the ac\"'ompanying pattern accenb but experimented
in a diflcrent directioll. The date lies between 460 and 450 H.C.
An unallributed pyxi!>, lIoston QJ.I08 (1111. 12. PI. 27),
apprual'llCk knob with bUllon on a squat stem bcarl> no
resemblance 10 the elegantly executed Berlin cxample. The ha