Mixing Vessel with Greeks Battling Amazons, Greek, 475–450 B.C., attributed to the Niobid Painter. Museo Archeologico Regionale, Agrigento, Sicily

An important work from the Museo Archeologico Regional in Agrigento, Sicily, is on loan to the Getty Museum and will be on view through October 11, 2010. The Mixing Vessel with Greeks Battling Amazons—known as the Gela Krater due to its discovery in Gela, a site in southern Sicily—is displayed in Stories of the Trojan War (Gallery 110) at the Getty Villa, where it joins other works of art that illustrate two epics by Homer, the Iliad and the Odyssey.

Attributed to the Niobid Painter (Greek, active about 470–445 B.C.), this monumental red-figured volute krater was produced in Athens between 475 and 450 B.C. A luxurious banquet vessel used for mixing wine with water, the krater stands almost 31 1/2 inches (80 centimeters) tall. Decorated in the red-figure technique, its body is illustrated with a vivid battle between armored Greek warriors and their mythical female opponents, the Amazons, in a type of combat known as an Amazonomachy.

Mixing Vessel with Greeks Battling Amazons (detail), Greek, 475–450 B.C., attributed to the Niobid Painter. Museo Archeologico Regionale, Agrigento, Sicily

Representing a collective endeavor of the Greeks against barbarian foes, the scene centers on a confrontation between a hero—possibly Achilles or Theseus—and a fallen Amazon. Mirroring the main scene, a secondary figural frieze on the neck depicts encounters between Greeks and another mythical race, the part-horse, part-human centaurs.

The krater is one of a distinct group of large Athenian vases with elaborate Amazonomachy scenes, which may have been inspired by contemporary wall paintings. During the 6th and 5th centuries B.C., significant quantities of Athenian pottery were exported to Gela, peaking around the mid-5th century. Like this krater, the majority were discovered in graves, where large vessels were sometimes used as containers for the cremated remains of the deceased. The Gela Krater's immediate appeal was, as it remains today, its monumental scale, exceptional craftsmanship, and energetic narrative composition.

	Mixing Vessel with Greeks Battling Amazons with its new seismic isolation base and pedestal at the Getty Villa.

Seismic Protection

Before installing the Gela Krater at the Getty Villa, the Museum's conservation team collaborated with conservators from Agrigento's Museo Archeologico Regionale to construct a custom seismic isolation base and pedestal.

When the krater returns to Sicily, it will be accompanied by its new pedestal and earthquake-resistant mount for display in its home museum.

About the Museo Archeologico Regionale of Agrigento

Located just outside the town at Contrada San Nicola, the Museo Archeologico Regionale in Agrigento, Sicily, chronicles the history of the ancient Greek colony of Akragas and its territory from prehistory to the Roman period. The museum features panoramic views over the Valley of the Temples, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. The area surrounding the museum was recently identified as the upper part of the ancient city, where numerous architectural remains of an amphitheater and residential quarters have been uncovered.

More information about the Museo Archeologico Regionale of Agrigento is available on their Web site. (Web site is in Italian.)

The loan of this Gela Krater is part of a long-term collaborative agreement between the Getty Museum and the Sicilian Ministry of Culture and Sicilian Identity. Learn more about this cultural collaboration.