Detail of a Fragment of a Terracotta Calyx-Krater Attributed to the Black Fury Painter in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, June 2010

Two fragments of a terracotta calyx krater (mixing bowl)
Greek, South Italian, Apulian, red-figure, ca. 400-380 BC
Attributed to the Black Fury Painter
The ransom of Hector and Apollo with a goddess

Accession Number: 20.195, .196

The larger fragment shows Priam, King of Troy, kneeling as he supplicates the Greek hero Achilles for the corpse of his son Hector. Priam's cap with long lappets clearly characterizes him as oriental. Behind Priam stands Hermes, the messenger god, identifiable by his winged boots. The male figure at the far left is probably an attendant of Priam. The white column in the background is part of Achilles' tent. The second fragment shows Apollo, god of music, holding his kithara, a lyre used in performance. The seated female before him may be his sister Artemis. The painting is exceptional for the rich detail and polychromy as well as the characterization of the distraught Priam.

Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.