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HJB Home > Antiquities Home > Inv. # aq19037

Attic Red-Figure Bell Krater by the Telos Painter ca. 450 BC. The exact name of this painter is unknown but the British academic Beazley named him Telos after the island in the Aegean. The style the Telos painter used can mostly be found on bell-kraters, such as this, where he often used added white paint. The paint was not fired on and many times did not stand the test of time. Here we see examples of where the original white paint remains- especially on the central scene of the vase. The front side of the vase renders a scene popular in the worship of the god of wine, Dionysus, and his followers. This seems quite appropriate as bell-kraters were used to mix wine and water. We see two satyrs dancing with three maenads. The central satyr is even pulling at the clothing of the maenad he is engaged with, demonstrating the action of the scene. Both maenads hold thyrsi, staffs terminating in a pine cone carried by Dionysiac followers. The pine cone on the right thyrsos is very finely painted and is a characteristic attributed to this painter. The reverse of the vase shows a Nike offering her hand to the youth to her right while another looks on to the left. This is yet another style the Telos painter has used on the reverse of other vases attributed to him. Both the front and back are bordered by a meander pattern below and a laurel wreath running around the entire rim above with palmettes under the handles. Truly a magnificent vase by a skilled artist of the period. No restoration. H. 13" x 13 1/8" diameter at the lip (33 cm x 33.3 cm).