细节
AN APULIAN RED FIGURE CALYX KRATER attributed to the Hippolyte Painter
CIRCA 345-335 B.C.
Depicted is a scene from Euripides' play Iphigeneia in Tauris. Orestes and his companion Pylades have arrived at the Temple of Artemis in order to carry off the cult statue. They have been taken prisoner by King Thoas, who has handed them over to the priestess Iphigeneia, sister of Orestes, to sacrifice to Artemis. They do not recognize each other as they had been separated since childhood. Eventually discovering that the men are Greek, she offers Orestes freedom if he will deliver a message to Argos. Orestes agrees, but requests that Pylades undertakes the task, while he himself be sacrificed. Iphigeneia hands the letter over to Pylades, who asks to be told the contents, in case he should lose the letter in a shipwreck. On learning the contents, they discover their common ancestry. The three eventually escape, bringing the cult statue to Greece. It is the dramatic moment of the handing over of the letter which the painter has chosen for this vase.
Side A: Pylades stands on the left, nude, leaning on his staff over which he has balanced his cloak, his petasos hanging at the back of his neck, a sword with white-painted pommel hangs from a baldric, his right hand to his lips, a pilos helmet hanging above him, to the right is Iphigeneia who stands facing him, wearing a himation over a peplos, white slippers, a bracelet, two necklaces, and earrings, a tied wax diptych with stylus in her right hand, which she is about to hand over to Pylades, a voluted altar between them with a metope frieze, an olive branch upon it, with Nike, descending from above with a garland to wreath Iphigeneia's head, wearing a transparent chiton, behind Iphigeneia is a fluted column surmounted by the cult statue of Artemis, wearing a belted peplos, holding the bow in her left hand, and drawing an arrow from her quiver with her right, beyond is Orestes, seated on a fluted column-drum, looking over his shoulder towards the others, his mantle beneath him and over his left arm, holding a staff, and wearing a petasos behind his head, a sword with white painted pommel hanging from a baldric, a branch at his feet, above hangs a white Samnite belt in front of a cloth, with details in yellow, the interior red, and to the right stands Artemis, her hair tied in a sakkos, wearing a belted chiton, a himation over her left shoulder and right arm, hunting boots, bracelets, necklaces and earrings, carrying two spears, and fondling a fawn which raises its head to look at her, the names of the protagonists are incised, a band of rosettes above a band of ovolo below the scene.
Side B: A seated woman in the center wearing a peplos, a phiale in her right hand, facing a standing nude male, perhaps Dinoysos, a mantle draped over his arms, holding a thyrsos and a tympanon, and to the right, a young satyr holding a torch, a thyrsos, and a situla, a band of meander below the scene.
A band of laurel above each scene, repaired from several large fragments, 16 3/8in. (41.6cm.) diam., 18in. (45.7cm.) high
