Bell Krater (bowl for mixing wine and water): Bouzyges and the Plow

Artists

Description

On one side: at the right of the scene stands the nude and bearded Bouzyges (“Ox-yoker”), the legendary inventor of the plough. He faces towards the left, with his body turned away from the viewer as he stands behind his plough, his left foot resting on the body of the ploughshare and his left hand grasping onto the handle. In his right hand he points forward with a rod over the rear of the two oxen (one barely visible behind the other) which are pulling the plough, with a yoke over their shoulders. An old man with white hair and beard (mostly no longer visible) stands further back in the field, behind Bouzyges, the plough and the oxen. He is wrapped in a cloak, and faces Bouzyges, with his left arm extended towards him. With his right hand he leans upon a staff. This man may be Kekrops, a legendary ancient king of Athens. Behind him stands a goddess, probably Demeter, who is also further back in the field, behind the oxen. She wears a long dress (peplos) and a crown in her hair. Her right arm holds up a long spear or scepter, while her left arm is extended towards Bouzyges, holding out six ears of grain, presumably representing the promised harvest which the new plough will produce. The stems of the grain were painted in added white and are no longer visible. On the left edge of the scene there is a bare tree with no leaves. On the other side: three young men. The two on the edges of the scene stand facing the center, and each leans on a staff which he holds in with his hand outstretch towards the center. The man in the center stands facing towards the right, with his right hand on his hip. All of the figures wear long cloaks (himatia). This side of the vase is heavily worn, and the figures are little more than empty shapes, with only minor traces of their former detail (facial features, drapery) preserved. Three words are incised on the vase, starting from the left edge of the side with the three youths and continuing around to the figure of Demeter, which identifies an individual: “Diokles, of the deme Halai, of the tribe Kekropis”. When this vase was discovered it had human bones inside it, and it is likely that this inscription refers to the man whose remains were interred in it. Around the top edge of the vase there is a laurel wreath band; at the bottom, there are bands under each scene which act as a ground line. On the side with Bouzyges, this is filled with a meander pattern, while on the other side it is either undecorated or the decoration has worn off. This vase has been broken, and is extensively repaired with fills and overpainting, including parts of the inscription. Although the final word currently reads KEKROPIAS (ΚΕΚΡΟΠΙΑΣ), this would be an unexpected form and it is likely that it originally read KEKROPIDOS (ΚΕΚΡΟΠΙΔΟΣ), which is the expected (genitive) form for the tribe name Kekropis; examination under ultraviolet light has revealed that the bottom of the A seems to have been restored, making it very plausible that it was originally the letter Δ (D), while the area between this letter and the Σ (S) is in poor condition but there are faint traces of what might be an O.

Dimensions

39.4 cm h x 43.2 cm diam. (15 1/2 x 17 in.)

Provenance

David M. Robinson (pre 1931-1960), bequest; to Fogg Art Museum, 1960.