Pelike is the term used to describe a type of
amphora with two handles, where the
broadest
part of the body is below the mid-point of its
height. The shape of the vessel was
originally
designed as a storage receptacle for liquids,
particularly oil and wine, but it is likely that
elaborately decorated examples such as this
one
served a funereal purpose.
The obverse depicts a seated female
wearing a
belted peplos. In her right hand she holds a
thyrsus with a fillet attached and in her left
hand
a wreath. A winged figure of Eros stands
opposite, holding a phiale in his outstretched
left
hand and a bunch of grapes in his right
hand.
His hair is secured under a sakkon. These
figures
are flanked on both sides by a palmette
design.
The upper register, beneath the rim, is
adorned
with a rosette and dotted ovolo motif. The
lower
section is encircled by a meander design,
typical
of Apulian production.
The reverse shows two young draped males
facing one another. The figure on the
viewer’s
left holds a staff in his right hand. Between
them
hang a pair of weights, a symbol of the
palaestra,
or wrestling school. Again, the figures are
flanked on either side by a palmette design,
but
the design of the upper register is different
from
that on the obverse. It consists of a laurel
wreath
pattern, while the meander design is
continued
in the lower register.
