6. AMASIS PAINTER LEKYTHOS - WEDDING

Date: 550-540 BC (Hannah says earlier, 560-550 BC)Type: Shoulder Lekythos, Black-figurePotter: Amasis - signedPainter: “Amasis Painter” - unsignedHeight: 17.1 cmSubject: Wedding procession

*This is the person who was responsible for the previous vase. This one will take much less time because there is not the same amount of background to do. Once again for the sake of completeness, you should now revise exactly what lekythoi were used for by the Greeks. They were used for .

A wedding procession with the newly-wed couple and the best man in the cart. The cart is drawn by two donkeys (white muzzles and stringy tails). These are far less realistic than even Exekias' animals. Behind this cart there is another (drawn by mules) containing three further males. Both carts are led by two women and a man. The front-most woman leading each cart carries two torches to show that this is taking place in the evening. The procession is heading for the bridegroom's house, which is under the handle. There is a woman waiting inside, this is probably the bridegroom's mother awaiting their arrival. The bride is carrying a garland of some sort.

Subject Matter

Main (lower) Frieze:

Three maidens have their hands linked; a youth faces them, playing a double flute; then three maidens facing the other way watching another youth play a lyre; finally three other maidens facing the first youth. All maidens are singing and dancing. This is almost certainly a wedding dance, thereby providing a link between the two friezes.

Upper Frieze:

Composition

Exactly the same as the Weaving lekythos.

Style and Technique

This vase is vastly superior to the other lekythos in terms of the quality of the artistry. The details are more precise, and more realistic. There is a sense of motion and direction, which does not exist in the other vase. The clarity of the incision work is also most impressive. The upper frieze also sits more easily on the shoulder and has some relationship to the main frieze.

Amasis Painter not as advanced in use of anatomy to convey mood and subtlety of movement as Exekias:small-scale figures have: • simple, clear outlines, no internal anatomy• drapery flat - folds indicated by widely separated lines• no suggestion of figures being 3-D