Attic Black-Figure Nikosthenic Pyxis Fragment

Exterior: Gigantomachy. At left, Herakles (head, left shoulder, and arms preserved) moves to the right, wearing his lionskin, and drawing his bow. Before him, Athena (head, right arm, and part of her upper body preserved), attacks with a spear in her raised right hand. She wears a helmet with a crest (the crest-holder terminating in a bird’s head), neckace, and peplos. Her shield is partially preserved, rendered in profile, with a protruding snake. Before Athena, the heads of four chariot horses. The chariot is that of Zeus (not preserved). Herakles probably stood with one foot on the chariot-pole, and Athena on the ground. Together they fight the Giants, who attack from the right. Poryphyrion comes first (head, right arm, spear, and part of his upper body preserved), followed by Enkelados (head and part of shield preserved). They wear Corinthian helmets, and carry round shields. Porphryion wears a sleeveless garment and a baldric slung over his shoulder. His shield blazon is a tripod. That of Enkelados is the forepart of a lion.

The fragment is composed of 12 joined fragments that give part of the rim, overhanging flange and upper body of the vessel. 90.AE.15.1-.10 provide additional fragments of the same vessel. The interior is black, with one red line on the inner edge of the rim, and another 4.3 cm further down. The topside of the rim is reserved, and the exterior painted with added red. The overhanging flange, which would have supported the lid, is black, and has a very fine tooled groove on the convex exterior, as well as a reserved fillet just under the flange. Below the fillet is a single black line, overlapped by the figures.

Adapted from Clark, A. CVA Malibu 2 (1990).