Mousaios, Terpsichore and Melousa (amphora)

Peleus Painter (active ca. 450-420 BCE) (attributed to)

Item type:

vessel

Date of creation:

ca. 440 BCE

Height:

58.4 cm  (23 in.)

Technique / Medium:

painted red figure pottery

Place of creation:

Attica (Ellás)

School:

Attic

Description

Mousaios, Terpsichore and Melousa. Terpsichore is seated in the centre on a chair to right, playing upon a harp (magadis), which she holds on her lap, bending over it, with her head in three-quarter face: she wears a long sleeved chiton, a mantle around her lap, and a curious stephane. Over her, her name, ΤΕΡΨΙΧΟΡΑ, Τερψίχορα. In front of her stands Mousaios, a youth in an himation, wreathed with laurel and holding in his left a chelys: he stands en face, but looks down at her, leaning against a long staff which has a shoot of laurel at the top and halfway up the stem. Over him, his name, MOYΣAIOΣ, Μουσαίος. On the left stands Melousa, in Doric chiton with apoptygma and saccos, who holds in her left a pair of flutes, of one of which she tries the mouthpiece with her right forefinger. Over her, ΜΕΛΕΛΟΣΑ, Μελ<ελ>ούσα. Above Terpsichore hangs a lyre of horse-shoe form.
(b) A woman in long sleeved chiton, mantle and saccos, standing to left holding up her right hand, between two draped ephebi leaning on staves: the one on left wears a wreath.
Large style. Purple inscriptions, berries of laurel, tuning-pegs of hanging lyre, and wreath in b. Brown inner markings and pupils of eyes. Articulation of sternum in parallel brown lines.

Iconclass

92D425
Terpsichore (one of the Muses); 'Terpsicore' (Ripa)

Instruments [MIMO Code] (notes)

Harp [3285] (magadis)
Aulos [4173]
Kithara [4940]
Lyre [3501] (chelys form)

RIdIM images

Image URLs

image link 1

Bibliographic references

Old Catalogue 1260
Vase E271
CVA British Museum 3 III Ic Pl. 11, 1

RIdIM record id

5327