The original, dating to ca 445 BC, is in the Staatliche Antikensammlungen in Munich. Two of the nine Muses (goddesses of inspiration; daughters of Zeus, king of the gods and Mnemosyne, goddess of Memory) are shown seated on Mount Helicon.
Such illustrations on white-ground lekythoi of this kind are thought to represent scenes from the afterlife of the deceased. The seated muse could be Erato, playing the kithara.
If such a lekythos was found in a young girl's grave, the deceased may have been noted for her musical ability and be thought to have taken her place among the muses in the afterlife. Between the two figures is the inscription 'Axiopeithes, son of Alkimachos, is beautiful ('kalos')'. Such seemingly random 'graffiti' on vases at this time help us to date them more accurately.
This lekythos has been painted by hand in Greece. The muted colours are consistent with the original vase in its current state.
white ground lekythos depicting Muses on Mount Helicon
- Height: 42cm
They are all made in Greece in the workshop of the Lioulias family, with whom It's All Greek is proud to have been working since 2004.
The vases themselves are manufactured in Greece, the images are then applied by transfer, before being painted by hand.
