No C 02
Boston, Museum of Fine Arts 00.330
Black-figure amphora from Vulci
Group E
Zeus is seated on a throne. He is represented with head and
legs in profile to the right, the body almost facing. Seated,
he is almost as tall as the surrounding standing figures. The
feet rest on a box-like footstool. The right forearm is extended
horizontally forward, the hand grasping a thunderbolt. The
left arm is raised, the hand with extended fingers seen on the
palm. The god has a pointed beard and wears his long hair
loose. His dress consists of a chiton and a himation, which
covers the upper arms.
Athena is represented emerging from the head of Zeus in a
sprinting position, head and legs in profile to the right, the
body facing. Her dress consists of a peplos. She wears no
helmet. She carries a shield, seen from the back, on the
outstreched left arm, and holds a spear in the right hand.
There are two deities on each side of the picture. On the
right a goddess, the right arm raised, with palm turned inward
and extended fingers, the left arm hanging down with clenched
fist, and Ares, characterised as such by helmet, shield, spear
and greaves. On the left side the two gods are identified as
Apollo, by the zither, and Hermes, by the petasos and the
endromides.
The throne has rectangular legs, decorated with double palmettes
and cut-out incisions round their stems. The throne is
backless, but has a lion's head at the rear corner.
A small figure of a winged sphinx is seen between the legs of the throne. The top of the wings and the head touch the underside of the seat.
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