Detail of a South Italian Terracotta Lekanis in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, June 2010

Terracotta lekanis (dish)
Greek, South Italian, Apulian, red-figure, ca. 340-330 BC
Attributed to the Phrixos Group
Interior, dolphin surrounded by marine creatures
Exterior, women and youths

Accession # 1989.281.61

Fish, crustaceans, and other marine life figure prominently in the subject matter of South Italian vase-painting. Here, a sea-perch swims below the dolphin, and the surrounding band contains a torpedo, a sea-perch, a dog fish, a gray mullet, and a triton's trumpet. The fish are framed by a vine tendril, and the reverse includes bunches of grapes.

Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.