Black-Figure Amphora (Type B; Storage Vessel): Men and Horses

c. 540 BC

Black-Figure Amphora (Type B; Storage Vessel): Men and Horses, c. 540 BC. Greek, Attic. Ceramic; overall: 40.6 cm (16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of J. H. Wade 1923.645 Although pieced together from many fragments (with some still missing), this sizeable amphora remains impressive. On each side, a horsemen and four figures are contained within a large, reserved panel beneath a lotus-palmette frieze. The scenes, which differ slightly from one another in various details, cannot be identified with known historical or mythological figures or episodes. The two sides of this amphora are very similar—a horseman flanked by pairs.