Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Lekythos with Knucklebone Players and Attendants
(Ancient Greece )
This vase is an exquisite example of the "Kerch" ware, distinguished by graceful poses, delicate details, gilding, and abundant colors. The subject is games of love. A seated nymph triumphs at "knucklebones," a game in which both players toss bones from the ankle of a sheep into the air and try to catch them on the back of their hand. Her unsuccessful opponent is a satyr. Behind him stands Aphrodite between two Eros figures, who are offering laurel wreaths of victory to the nymph and to the youth at far left, dressed as a bridegroom.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Prince Boris Chakhoskoy (Shakhovskoy) (consul or vice-consul of Russia at Bourgas), 1884-85, [found in Apollonia, Bulgaria (modern Sozopol)]; A. van Branteghem, Brussels, [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Nahle Montran Pacha, Paris, [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1906, [mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 2009 | Things With Wings: Mythological Figures in Ancient Greek Art. Ward Museum, Salisbury. |
| 2005-2006 | Things With Wings: Mythological Figures in Ancient Greek Art. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. |
| 1988-1989 | From Alexander to Cleopatra: Greek Art of the Hellenistic Age. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
| 1984 | The Taste of Maryland: Art Collecting in Maryland 1800-1934. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 5/2/1984 | Examination | examined for exhibition |
Geographies
Greece, Athens
(Place of Origin)
Greece, Thrace, Apollonia (Place of Discovery)
Measurements
H: 14 x Diam: 6 9/16 in. (35.5 x 16.7 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1906
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
48.84