Ancient Greek Amphora of Odysseus & Argos

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About the Item

Attic red figured Amphora circa 460-450 B.C. Measure: Height: 34.2 cm. A beautiful red figure Amphora from the Greek classical period, dating to the 5th century B.C. - one side depicts a warrior in full regalia, holding a spear and shield, attended by a dog which goes ahead of him; on the other, a bearded youth, clad in a chiton, stands leaning on a staff. A menander band encircles the bottom of the body, and two finely painted palmette designs unfurl beneath the two handles. The entry for this piece, given in the catalogue of a New York auction by Hans M. F. Schulman in 1959, described this as ‘extremely valuable and attractive.’ Red figure pottery is a style which first emerged in Athens in the 6th century B.C., said to have been pioneered by the Andokides Painter, allowing Athens to quickly overtake Corinth as the foremost production centre of high-value ceramic works in the Ancient Greek world. This vase has been identified as belonging to the High Classical period of Greek vase painting (circa 480-425 B.C.), defined by a particular attention to naturalism, especially in the drapery, and the elegance and severity of its compositions, which tend to be simpler than those of the works of the preceding periods, with an emphasis on harmony and balance. In Greek myth and literature, dogs are commonly associated with the virtues of loyalty and tenacity. The infant Zeus, for example, was said to have been watched over by Laelaps, a mythic dog, which possessed the power to never fail to catch whatever it set out to hunt, and was later transformed into the constellation Canis Major. Inarguably however, the most famous instance of this is that of Odysseus’ hunting hound, Argos, who appears in an especially moving episode toward the end of Homer’s Odyssey, which is perhaps the scene being invoked on this vase. After 10 years fighting in Troy, and another 10 years spent struggling to make his way home, Odysseus finally returns to Ithaca, disguising himself as a beggar in order to launch a surprise attack on the suitors who have taken over his old house, in the hopes of marrying his wife Penelope. He is recognised only by his faithful hunting companion, Argos, who, having grown old and sick waiting on his master’s return, is able to muster just enough energy to drop his ears and wag his tail - tragically, in order not to betray himself, Odysseus cannot return the greeting, and sheds a single tear as Argos ’passed into the darkness of death, now that he had fulfilled his destiny of faith and seen his master once more after twenty years.’ (Odyssey, Book 17, line 327) ‘There lay the hound Argos, full of vermin; yet even now, when he marked Odysseus standing near, he wagged his tail and dropped both his ears, but nearer to his master he had no longer strength to move. Then Odysseus looked aside and wiped away a tear…’ Homer, The Odyssey Provenance: Public Auction: The Millan and Fuseni Collections, Hans M. F. Schulman, New York, 28 February 1959, lot 2575 Antiquities, Sotheby’s, New York, 12 June 1993, lot 101. Literature: Beazley Archive Pottery Database no. 45352.

Dimensions:
Height: 13.47 in (34.2 cm)Diameter: 7.88 in (20 cm)
Style:
Classical Greek (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Pottery
Place of Origin:
Italy
Period:
15th Century and Earlier
Date of Manufacture:
460-450 BC
Condition:
Repaired. Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: 430231stDibs: LU1052233540522

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