No C 05
Philadelphia, University Museum MS 3441
Black-figure amphora from Orvieto
The painter of Berlin 1686
Zeus is seated on a throne. He is represented with head and
legs in profile to the right, the body facing. Seated, he is
even taller than the surrounding standing figures. The feet
rest on a footstool. The right forearm is extended almost
horizontally forward, the hand grasping a thunderbolt. The
left forearm is extended horizontally forward, with clenched
fist. The god has a pointed beard and wears his long hair
loose, with a narrow headband. His dress consists of a chiton
and a himation, which covers his left arm.
Athena is represented standing on the lap of Zeus, head and
legs in profile to the right, the body facing. Her dress
presumably consists of a peplos and the aigis. The aigis
is covered with metal scales. The goddess wears a helmet,
carries a shield, seen from the back, on the 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 forearm raised with palm turned
inward and extended fingers put to the chin, the left arm
extended obliquely downward, 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 (?).
The throne has rectangular legs decorated with cut-out
incisions, an arm-rail supported by bars and a straight back
with a ram's head finial.
The small figure of a winged goddess is seen between the
legs of the throne. There is a dog beside Ares and a flying
siren over the head of the goddess next to Zeus.
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