DESCRIPTION

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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