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An Attic black-figure neck amphora image 1
An Attic black-figure neck amphora image 2
Lot 69

An Attic black-figure neck amphora

Antiquities
3 July 2019, 10:00 BST
London, New Bond Street

£10,000 - £15,000

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An Attic black-figure neck amphora
Attributed to the Leagros Group, circa 510-500 B.C.
The obverse with Ajax carrying the dead body of Achilles over his shoulder, hunched forward with the weight of the hero's body, both wearing high-crested helmets and Boeotian shields, a peplos-clad female following, her head turned back, the reverse with an archer wearing Phrygian helmet, spotted tunic and trousers, his hand outstretched in a gesture of supplication, flanked by two armour-clad Greek warriors, both wearing helmets and holding shields, a band of rays around the foot, palmette-lotus chain on the neck, tongues on the shoulder, scrolling palmettes beneath the handles, details added in white and red, 29.5cm high

Footnotes

Provenance:
Ivar Johnsson (1885-1970) collection, Sweden.
Anonymous sale; Bukowskis Auktioner, Stockholm, August 2016.
Private collection, acquired at the above sale.

According to myth, Ajax recovered the body of his former nemesis, Achilles, from the hands of the Trojans. His ensuing competition with Odysseus over Achilles' armour resulted in Ajax's own death. The female alongside the group may represent Achilles' mother Thetis, or his lover Briseis.

The depiction of Ajax carrying Achilles' body over his shoulder had long been popular among Greek vase painters, as evident from the François Vase. For another neck amphora attributed to the Leagros Group and depicting the same subject, see the Beazley Archive, vase no. 7721, from the NCMA, North Carolina, acc. no. 74.1.6.

Ivar Johnsson, whose works include Iliadic reliefs at the Stockholm City Library, was a prominent figure in the Swedish Neo-Classical movement, and awarded the Sergel Prize and Prince Eugen Medal for outstanding artistic achievement.

Additional information

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