The psykter is a vessel used for cooling wine at a symposium. Placed in a large bowl of ice-cold water, the bulbous upper section - decorated here with youths in the gymnasium - would be visible to drinkers. Many of the figures on this vase are identified with inscriptions.
One nude youth ('Ambrosios') seen from behind scrapes his body with a strigil. To the right, a youth with his hair tied up in a bun folds a mantle ('Euthydikos'). Around the rest of the vase are four pairs of courting couples. One draped youth holding a hand to his head ('Melas') leans on his staff, looking at a heavily draped boy who walks to the right, holding a lyre and looking back ('Antias'). Another draped youth ('Euphronios') leans on his staff as he reaches for the chin of the boy facing him ('Leagros kalos'). A draped youth embraces another, fondling his genitals and about to kiss (both are un-named). The final pair features a lightly draped youth leaning on his staff ('Hegerthos kalos'), gesturing towards a boy wearing a purple mantle and with his hair in a bun ('Andriskos'). All of the figures are wreathed, save the two with their hair tied up.
Many of the inscribed names recur on other contemporary Athenian vases, notably Leagros, who is often described as 'kalos' ('beautiful'). Yet Euphronios, named here, is the name of a vase-painter, and it is surprising to see a craftsman attempting to seduce one of the most sought-after noble youths in Athens. Scholars have suggested that this scene is a fantasy - perhaps humorous - on the part of the psykter's painter.
One nude youth ('Ambrosios') seen from behind scrapes his body with a strigil. To the right, a youth with his hair tied up in a bun folds a mantle ('Euthydikos'). Around the rest of the vase are four pairs of courting couples. One draped youth holding a hand to his head ('Melas') leans on his staff, looking at a heavily draped boy who walks to the right, holding a lyre and looking back ('Antias'). Another draped youth ('Euphronios') leans on his staff as he reaches for the chin of the boy facing him ('Leagros kalos'). A draped youth embraces another, fondling his genitals and about to kiss (both are un-named). The final pair features a lightly draped youth leaning on his staff ('Hegerthos kalos'), gesturing towards a boy wearing a purple mantle and with his hair in a bun ('Andriskos'). All of the figures are wreathed, save the two with their hair tied up.
Many of the inscribed names recur on other contemporary Athenian vases, notably Leagros, who is often described as 'kalos' ('beautiful'). Yet Euphronios, named here, is the name of a vase-painter, and it is surprising to see a craftsman attempting to seduce one of the most sought-after noble youths in Athens. Scholars have suggested that this scene is a fantasy - perhaps humorous - on the part of the psykter's painter.
Images courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art (CC0)