Detail of a South Italian Wall Painting in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, July 2007

Wall painting
Greek, South Italian, Lucanian, mid-4th century BC
Return of a mounted warrior

Accession # 1994.62

In Southern Italy, particularly around Tarentum in the east and Naples in the west, painted chamber tombs were quite common. Allowing for differences in scale and technique, the iconography here has much in common with that of the vases. The wreath, foliage, and pomegrantes in the upper part of the painting allude to glory and regeneration. The main scene shows a young warrior in Italic armor returning home. As on the hydria 01.8.12, he carries his spear over his shoulder. Welcoming him is a woman with an oinochoe (jug) and skyphos.

Text slightly abridged from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.