Calyx Krater with a Departure Scene

Description The scene on this "krater" depicts another milestone in the life of a young man. At the culmination of years of training, a warrior stands beside the family altar preparing to leave for war. He wears a short tunic under a "cuirass" (breastplate) and holds his spear in his left hand. A young woman on the right readies his shield and stretches out her hand to pass his helmet across the altar. On the other side of the vessel, a bearded man leans on a staff and raises his hand in a gesture perhaps mirroring that of the young woman and beckoning to the youth. A "krater" is a large, wide-mouth vessel used for mixing water and wine; if the handles are in the low position seen here, it is called a "calyx krater."

Conservation

One handle was broken and reattached in antiquity. The ancient straps or rivets have been removed. At least two repair campaigns have been undertaken to repair and minimize the appearance of the damage to the handle. One repair was probably done prior to acquisition by Henry Walters in 1925. The later work was done in 1988.

Date	Description	Narrative
7/27/1987	Treatment	x-ray
7/17/2012	Examination	Examined for exhibition

Exhibitions

• Heroes: Mortals and Myths in Ancient Greece. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore; Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Nashville; San Diego Museum Of Art, San Diego; Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation (USA), New York. 2009-2011.

Provenance Thomas B. Clarke, New York, until 1925; Thomas B. Clarke Sale, American Art Gallery, New York, January 7-10, 1925, no. 625; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1925, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.

Credit Acquired by Henry Walters, 1925