Panathenaic amphora, Athena figure
Acropolis, Athens, GreeceMaterial: Earthenware with slip decoration
Date range: c. 480-470 BC
Origin: Attica, Greece (Panathenaic amphora by the Berlin Painter)
This image is a close-up detail of a large, two-handled black-figure Panathenaic prize amphora. It highlights the main decorative panel, depicting the goddess Athena Promachos (Athena who fights in the front).
Athena is shown in a martial stance, moving to the left, wearing a long, pleated garment that is decorated with repeated swastika patterns along the lower hem. She carries a large, circular shield (aspis) on her arm, the interior of which is visible, and wears a crested helmet.
The decorative banding above the main scene features a repeating pattern of palmettes and geometric motifs. This particular amphora is attributed to the Berlin Painter. The vessel was a prize (athlon) given to victors in the Panathenaic Games, and it is inscribed with the phrase "TON ATHENETHEN ATHLON" ("A prize from Athens").
Detail of a black-figure Panathenaic prize amphora depicting the goddess Athena Promachos
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