Agora Object: Agora XXX, no. 1
Chronology:   Ca. 440 B.C.
Deposit:   C 20:2
Published Number:   AV 30.1
References:   Object: P 17573
Thirteen non-joining wall fragments with thin reddish wash on inside. Mended in antiquity (part of lead repair in b; hole in d). Glaze pitted and abraded here and there. P.H. a) 0.14; max. dim. a) 0.281, b) 0.14, c) 0.94, d) 0.112, e) 0.145, f) 0.076, g) 0.125, h) 0.07, i) 0.15, j) 0.05, k) 0.046, l) 0.036, m) 0.069.

A, Nike crowning the winner of a musical contest. Fragment d (illustrated) shows the end of the goddess's wing and horizontal drapery as she flies to right. At the lower left is a bit of reserve that separates the black background from the framing ornament. Fragment e preserves the lower left corner of this panel with the chevron side frame and stopped-maeander pattern below, and f gives more of the latter pattern. Fragment b (illustrated) shows the feet and lower drapery (chiton under a himation) of the musician, who stands frontally on a platform, probably with head turned to right. Fragment a (illustrated) gives the lower right corner of this panel with the two patterns (the chevron frame and the stopped-maeander with saltire-square), as well as a bit of drapery (chiton and himation) worn by someone moving rapidly to left and at the far left a bit of reserve that may represent the heel of one foot of this figure. Fragment k has a little of the chevron pattern from this side of the panel and, at the left break, contour outline and reserve that is probably more drapery. B, musical contest? Fragment a (illustrated) preserves the lower left corner of this panel, with a reserved line for the frame and a stopped-maeander pattern below, as well as the lower part of a himation and the right heel of a man or youth standing to right. Fragment g shows more of the reserved line and also some of the upper part of this figure. Fragment h (illustrated) preserves the lower part of the head of a youth to right, his bare right shoulder, and a few folds of his himation. The vertical curve of this fragment and the lines of the wash on the inside indicate that it is part of the return; thus the youth must stand on a platform, for otherwise he would tower above those behind and in front of him. Fragment i (illustrated) shows the shaft of a column and to the right of it a youth (lower face, upper part of body) wrapped in a himation, to left. At the upper left of this fragment is an object that looks like the end of an aulos, presumably played by the youth on fragment h. Fragment c (illustrated) preserves the middle part of a woman standing in three-quarter view to left, dressed in a chiton and himation. To judge by the lines of glaze on the inside, she stood behind the youth on fragment i and was probably the rightmost figure on this side. Fragments j -- l preserve too little of the decoration to place (they seem to show drapery); m is without decoration. Preliminary sketch. Relief contour for neck of youth on h. Dilute glaze: lines on feathers of wings. Red: band below panel that continued around the vase.

For better-preserved examples of this subject, see these two, both contemporary with 1: the pelike in Plovdiv by the Epimedes Painter (ARV2 1044, 9; Addenda 320; M. Reho, La ceramica attica a figure nere e rosse nella tracia Bulgara [Archaeologica 86], Rome 1990, pl. 31) and the pelike in Leyden, Ro II 60 by the Cassel Painter (ARV2 1084, 16; Addenda 327).

Perhaps by the Kleophon Painter. For the manner of wrapping the himation as on fragment i, cf. Ferrara 44894 = T.57 C VP, the youth leading the bull (ARV2 1143, 1; Paralip. 455, 1; Addenda 334; Matheson, Polygnotos, p. 406, cat. no. KL 1, pl. 125), Munich 2415, the middle youth on side B (ARV2 1143, 2; Paralip. 455, 2; Addenda 334; Matheson, p. 406, cat. no. KL 2, pl. 121), or Oxford 1922.8 (ARV2 1145, 34; Paralip. 456, 34; Addenda 335; Matheson, p. 413, cat. no. KL 39); for the outer contour of the himation on fragment c, cf. Munich 2414, the aulos-player (ARV2 1143, 6; Paralip. 455, 6; Addenda 334; Matheson, p. 407, cat. no. KL 6, pl. 126), Minneapolis 09.6 (ARV2 1144, 10, Addenda 334; Matheson, p. 408, cat. no. KL 11), St. Petersburg 774 = St. 1636 (ARV2 1144, 14; Paralip. 456, 14; Addenda 334; Matheson, p. 409, cat. no. KL 15, pl. 129), or Brunswick 556 (ARV2 1145, 32; Paralip. 456, 32; Matheson, p. 413, cat. no. KL 37); for the tip of the drapery on fragment a, cf. Ferrara 44894 = T.57 C VP, the youth behind the woman with the basket on her head, Munich 2414, the aulos-player, or Copenhagen, inv. 13817, second man after aulist (ARV2 1145, 35; Paralip. 456, 35; Addenda 335; Matheson, Polygnotos, p. 414, cat. no. KL 41, pl. 120); for the foreshortened feet with the toes and the nail of the big toe carefully drawn as on fragment b, cf. Ferrara 44894 = T.57 C VP, Munich 2415, or Munich 2361 (ARV2 1145, 36; Paralip. 456, 36; Addenda 335; Matheson, p. 414, cat. no. KL 42, pl. 124); and for the decoration on the himation on fragment b, rather rare for the painter, cf. Copenhagen, inv. 13817, or Florence 4006, a stamnos close to him that shows a youthful kitharode about to be crowned by two Nikai (ARV2 1062, ---, 1; Paralip. 446, 1; Addenda 323; Matheson, p. 449, cat. no. PGU 20: Group of Polygnotos: Undetermined).