Item: Greek stamnos

Material: Red-figure ware

Date of origin: Mid-5th Century BC

Accession number: 1339

Description: The finest of all the vases in the collection, a good example of a type very popular in the mid-fifth century, used for mixing wine. Scenes on the vase suggest its use.

On the front a middle-aged man dances with a girl, playing krotala (clappers/castanets). A second girl plays the double-pipes. Her hair is cut short and her chiton is loose. The dancer wears a full chiton, girt high with crossed bands over the bosom. Her hair is bound up with a hairband (sakkos) but a strand hangs loose over the fillet at back. The strands at her temples are set flying by her dance. The man, with a spare, straggly beard, carries a stick and short cloak over his arm, wearing a broad fillet.

On the other side two youths are talking a woman into going with them. They wear himatia (cloaks) and fillets; she is dressed for outdoors, with a himation (cloak) over her dress. One youth wears a wristband (either a seal or an amulet). All three are rather unkempt. The hair-styles on this vase are wilder than usual.