No C 27
London, British Museum B 424
Black-figure Little-Master cup from Vulci
Phrynos Potter and Painter
Zeus is seated on a throne. He is represented with head and
legs in profile to the right, the body almost facing, to the
same scale as Hephaistos who is standing, next to him. The
right arm is raised, the hand grasping a thunderbolt. The left
arm is raised as well, with palm turned inward (?) and extended
fingers. The god has a pointed beard and wears his long
hair loose, with a headband. His dress consists of a chiton
and a himation which covers the shoulders.
Athena is represented emerging from the head of Zeus, head
in profile to the right, the body almost facing. She is visible down
to the waist. Her dress presumably consists of a
peplos. She carries a shield, bearing the head of an ox with
protruding horns, on the left arm. The right arm is raised,
with clenched fist.
On the right of the picture stands Hephaistos, the right
arm raised, the hand with extended fingers seen on the palm,
and the left arm down, with the hand that grasps the axe
behind his back.
The throne has rectangular legs slanting outwards, connected
by a stretcher and ending in lion's paws, an armrail supported
by little columns, and a low back with a swan's head as a
decorative finial.
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