Amphora

Uninscribed Panathenaic amphora in the typical black figure on red, even though their production extended to the time that most pottery was in red figure. They would show on one side the sport or game of the Panathenaic festival that the athletes competed in and on the other side always Athena, the goddess celebrated during the festival. Panathenaic amphoras were normally awarded to the winning athletes as a prize and they would be filled with oil. In these cases they were much bigger in size than this example and they would also be inscribed with the name of the winning athlete. The Athena of this amphora holds a shield depicting 3 white balls on one side. She is tuned facing a bearded man, possibly Hermes. On the other side there is chariot with four horses and two riders. The amphora has had some repaint and is badly broken.