LOT 0048

Greek Black-Figure Alabastron with Fighting Warriors

ATTIC, 500-480 B.C.

6 1/4 in. (262 grams total, 16 cm high including stand).

Of ovoid shape, short neck and expanded flat rim; painted in horizontal bands with black vertical strokes the shoulder, ovules in the upper part, the central scene representing a Greek Ekdromos fighting a Scythian archer; the Greek warrior, wearing a light sleeveless chiton, and a crested Corinthian helmet, carrying a wide hoplon shield, and a long spear with which he is slashing his opponent; the Scythian archer is wearing a typical tall cap flowing backwards and his long coat-suit, carrying a gorytos, (quiver) and composite bow with arrow; horizontal black stripes below; accompanied by a custom-made display stand.

Louis-Gabriel Bellon (1819-1899) collection, France.
European private collection, 2009.

Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.13019-246753.

Cf. for similar images Ivantchik, A.I., ‘’Scythian’ Archers on Archaic Attic vases: problems of interpretation’ in Ancient Civilizations from Scythians to Siberia, 12,3-4, Leiden, 2006, fig.nos.5,8; for the Greek and Scythian military costume Sekunda, N., The Ancient Greeks, London, 1986, pp.13-15; Head, D., The Achaemenid Persian Army, Stockport, 1992, figs.12,21, for similar alabastra; Sekunda, N., The Athenian Army 507-322 BC, Oxford, 2025, fig.p.20.

The importance of this alabastron is linked to its iconography, which represents episodes of the Persian Wars, fought 490-480 B.C. Such alabastra are part of a series realised during the period of the conflict and after, and they are an important source of information on the Persian and Greek armies. Here, the two opponents evoke the Greek victories, with a light-armed Greek ekdromos (hoplite fighting in light equipment) killing a Scythian archer, who formed part of the Persian army. The representation of Scythian costume in vase-painting reached its height of popularity between c. 530 and 490 B.C., and went out of fashion after the Graeco-Persian wars, when these clothes began to be associated with the Persian ethnic identity rather than the original Scythian.