A.D. Trendall, Greek Vases in University House (Canberra 1960) 4 fig. 4; J.D. Beazley, Paralipomena: Additions to Attic Black-Figure Vase-Painters and to Attic Red-Figure Vase-Painters (Oxford 1971) 90, 47; J. Boardman, Athenian Black Figure Vases. A Handbook (London 1974) fig. 132; H.P. Isler, “Dinos ionico con delfini in una collezione ticinese”, Numismatica ed Antichità Classica. Quaderni Ticinesi 6, 1977, 29; J.R. Green with B. Rawson, Catalogue of Antiquities in the Australian National University, A.N.U. (Canberra, 1981) 32; S. Vidali, Archaische Delphindarstellungen (Würzburg 1997) 63 and 124 no. A2, 11. T.H. Carpenter, with T. Mannack and M. Mendonca, Beazley Addenda, 2nd edition (Oxford 1989): 54; Beazley Archive Pottery Database 350954.

1976.10

Attic Black-Figure Band-Skyphos

Lent by University House to which it was presented by Dr Germaine Joplin. Ht 11.3cm; diam. 18.2cm.

Reconstructed from fragments; there is some restoration of the tail of the fourth and the fifth to eighth dolphins on B and the tail of the eighth dolphin on A. The inner faces of the handles were reserved but the left has been repainted.

A and B: Eight leaping dolphins, their bodies alternately with red over. The inside is black save for a reserved band immediately within the lip. There is a reserved band on the lower wall outside; reserved too are the vertical face of the foot and the resting surface. The inner face of the foot is black but for a small reserved area at the top.

Third quarter of the sixth century BC. A.D. Trendall compared Vatican 334, C. Albizzati, Vasi antichi dipinti del Vaticano (Rome 1925-39) pl. 35. J.D. Beazley gave a list of band-skyphoi in Paralipomena: Additions to Attic Black-Figure Vase-Painters and to Attic Red-Figure Vase-Painters (Oxford 1971) 88-91.There is perhaps a relationship to the workshop of the Amasis Painter.

Beazley compared the potter-work to that of Hermogenes.

Dolphins were favourite creatures. When the Mediterranean was less polluted and had more fish, when the waters were not subject to the noise of ships’ engines, they must have been an even more common sight as they accompanied the boats. One thinks of the mythical figures transported and saved by dolphins, or the very popular motif of a boy or an Eros riding a dolphin. M. Rabinovitch, Der Delphin in Sage und Mythos der Griechen (Dornach-Basel 1947); J. Redondo, “Myths around the Dolphin in Greek Religion”, in: A.R. Fernandes, J.P. Serra and R.C. Fonseca (eds), The Power of Form. Recycling Myths (Newcastle upon Tyne 2015) 67-89; M.-C. Beaulieu, “The Dolphin in Classical Mythology and Religion”, in: P.A. Johnston, A. Mastrocinque, S. Papaioannou (eds), Animals in Greek Religion and Myth (Newcastle upon Tyne 2016) 237-253.

For a discussion of marine motifs, see C. Scheffer, “Marine Fauna - An Unusual Motif in Athenian Black Figure”, Opuscula Atheniensia 17, 1988, 231-234, and the very useful if brief discussion of the dolphin-motif and its connections with East Greek pottery by B.B. Shefton in Greek Vases in the J. Paul Getty Museum 4, 1989, 65-70. He illustrates a number of cups in which dolphins are arranged in a similar fashion around the tondo on the inside of cups. Our vase transfers the idea to the outside.

For dolphins in the context of the symposion, see M.I. Davies, “Sailing, Rowing and Sporting in One's Cups on the Wine-Dark Sea”, in: W.P. Childs (ed.), Athens Comes of Age: From Solon to Salamis (Princeton 1978) 72-95, and to some degree H. Herter, “Die Delphine des Dionysos”, Archaiognosia 1, 1980, 101-134. There is a huge bibliography on dolphin-riders, but one may note in particular T.F. Higham, “Nature Note: Dolphin-Riders. Ancient Stories Vindicated”, Greece & Rome 7, 1960, 82-86.

There is now a fuller study of representations of dolphins by S. Vidali, Archaische Delphindarstellungen (Würzburg 1997), although she omits mention of Scheffer and of Shefton. Inter alia, she likens such friezes of dolphins to those on the tops of the lips of Nikosthenic amphorae, e.g. her pl. 10b, pl. 11b. A. Petrakova compares our vase in the text to Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum Hermitage (8) pl. 23, 2.

A.D. Trendall, Greek Vases in University House (Canberra 1960) 4 fig. 4; J.D. Beazley, Paralipomena: Additions to Attic Black-Figure Vase-Painters and to Attic Red-Figure Vase-Painters (Oxford 1971) 90, 47; J. Boardman, Athenian Black Figure Vases. A Handbook (London 1974) fig. 132; H.P. Isler, “Dinos ionico con delfini in una collezione ticinese”, NumAntCl 6, 1977, 29; J.R. Green with B. Rawson, Catalogue of Antiquities in the Australian National University, A.N.U. (Canberra, 1981) 32; S. Vidali, Archaische Delphindarstellungen (Würzburg 1997) 63 and 124 no. A2, 11.

University House, ANU.

1 Balmain Cres, Acton ACT 2601.

(02) 6125 5211.