The Horsehead Amphora is a specific type of
amphora
An amphora (; grc, ἀμφορεύς, ''amphoreús''; English plural: amphorae or amphoras) is a type of container with a pointed bottom and characteristic shape and size which fit tightly (and therefore safely) against each other in storag ...
, produced in
Athen
''Athen'' (meaning Athens in several languages, including German, Norwegian and Danish)
is the name of two German merchant ships:
* , German merchant ship lost off Portland Bill in the English Channel in 1906, and now a dive site
* , German merchan ...
s from about 600 BC onwards. They are vessels with a very pronounced belly, decorated with
black figure
Black-figure pottery painting, also known as the black-figure style or black-figure ceramic ( grc, , }), is one of the styles of painting on antique Greek vases. It was especially common between the 7th and 5th centuries BCE, although there are ...
horseheads on both sides. In a single case, one side depicts a woman's head. In contrast to earlier
belly amphora
An amphora (; grc, ἀμφορεύς, ''amphoreús''; English plural: amphorae or amphoras) is a type of container with a pointed bottom and characteristic shape and size which fit tightly (and therefore safely) against each other in storag ...
e, the painters did not apply a separate frieze on the neck. The decoration was painted within reserved rectangular panels; the remaining vase of the body was painted black. More than 100 such amphorae are known; they were painted by a variety of artists, including ones of mediocre quality.
The amphorae appear to have had a specific meaning or purpose, remains elusive to modern scholarship. Some scholars have suggested that they were grave vases, but not a single specimen was found in a grave context. Should that interpretation be correct, the horses may be connected with
Hades
Hades (; grc-gre, ᾍδης, Háidēs; ), in the ancient Greek religion and myth, is the god of the dead and the king of the underworld, with which his name became synonymous. Hades was the eldest son of Cronus and Rhea, although this also ...
, or be symbols of
Poseidon
Poseidon (; grc-gre, Ποσειδῶν) was one of the Twelve Olympians in ancient Greek religion and myth, god of the sea, storms, earthquakes and horses.Burkert 1985pp. 136–139 In pre-Olympian Bronze Age Greece, he was venerated as a ch ...
in an unusual role as god of the
underworld
The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underworld.
...
. A further possibility is that the vases served as victory prizes.
Erika Simon
Erika Simon (27 June 1927 – 15 February 2019) was a German scholar of classical archaeology and professor emeritus of the University of Würzburg. She was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 2002. Simon died in February 2019 at the ...
proposed that they were typical
votive
A votive offering or votive deposit is one or more objects displayed or deposited, without the intention of recovery or use, in a sacred place for religious purposes. Such items are a feature of modern and ancient societies and are generally ...
dedications using by the Athenian nobility, who also provided the state's cavalry. In that case, the horsehead would be a symbol of social standing. According to
John D. Beazley
Sir John Davidson Beazley, (; 13 September 1885 – 6 May 1970) was a British classical archaeologist and art historian, known for his classification of Attic vases by artistic style. He was Professor of Classical Archaeology and Art at the Un ...
, the vases were part of the Athenian vase painters' repertoire for less than half a century. No stylistic development can be detected. It is possible that they were precursors to the
Panathenaic prize amphorae. The
Painter of the Aachen horsehead is named for his habit of painting horsehead amphorae.
See also
*
Horses Amphora
Bibliography
*
John Beazley
Sir John Davidson Beazley, (; 13 September 1885 – 6 May 1970) was a British classical archaeologist and art historian, known for his classification of Attic vases by artistic style. He was Professor of Classical Archaeology and Art at the U ...
: ''Attic Black-figure Vase-painters''. Oxford 1956, p. 15–17.
* M. G. Picozzi, Anfore attiche a protome equina. Studi Miscellanei 18 (1970–71)
* Ann Birchall: ''Attic Horse Head Amphorae'', In: ''
Journal of Hellenic Studies
''The Journal of Hellenic Studies'' is an annual peer-reviewed academic journal covering research in Hellenic studies. It also publishes reviews of recent books of importance to Hellenic studies. It was established in 1880 and is published by Camb ...
'' 92, 1972, p. 46f.
*
John Boardman: ''Schwarzfigurige Vasen aus Athen. Ein Handbuch'', von Zabern, 4. edn, Mainz 1994 (Kulturgeschichte der Antiken Welt, Vol 1) , p. 18.
* Bettina Kreuzer: ''Untersuchungen zu den attischen Pferdekopfamphoren'', In: ''Bulletin antieke beschaving''. Vol 73, 1998, p. 95–114.
* Reinhard Lullies in ''Antike Kunstwerke aus der Sammlung Ludwig. Band 1. Frühe Tonsarkophage und Vasen'', von Zabern, Mainz 1979, p. 45–46, .
{{Authority control
Amphorae
Horses in art