Terracotta Panathenaic prize amphora
ca. 500 BCE
Medium
Terracotta
Dimensions
H: 25 in. (63.5 cm)
Classification
Vases
Culture & Period
Greek, Attic · Archaic
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1916
Accession Number
16.71
Tags
About this artwork
This Panathenaic prize amphora represents one of the most prestigious awards in ancient Greek athletics. Created by the Kleophrades Painter around 500 BCE, the vessel would have been filled with olive oil and presented to a victor at the Panathenaic Games in Athens. The amphora features black-figure decoration on both sides: one depicts Athena Promachos with the inscription 'ton Athenethen athlon' (a prize from Athens), a standard formula on all Panathenaic amphorae. The reverse shows the pankra...
Art Historical Context
This striking terracotta Panathenaic prize amphora, created around 500 BCE by the Kleophrades Painter, stands as a remarkable testament to ancient Greek athletic culture. Standing 25 inches tall, these vessels were awarded to victors at the prestigious Panathenaic Games in Athens and filled with valuable olive oil. As a product of Attic craftsmanship during the Archaic period, the amphora embodies civic pride, with its standard inscription “a prize from Athens” alongside the figure of Athena Promachos reinforcing its official status. The Kleophrades Painter excelled in the black-figure techni...