Keywords: Syriskos Painter - Psykter with Athlete and Servant Boy and Youth and a Dog - Walters 4877 - Side A Detail.jpg This red-figure psykter depicts an athlete and a servant boy on the front On the left remains the left hand and lower arm of a servant holding a bag possibly leather by a strap On the right a bearded male athlete in profile to the left hunches over infibulating himself; his attention is focused on the bag held by the boy On the back are a youth and a boy possibly courting a dog On the left a mantled youth with fillet leans forward on a staff He holds both arms out and far apart gesturing to the boy on the right A dog Laconian hound sits on the ground to the right before the youth The boy who wears a mantle and fillet stands attentively in profile to the left The scene on the front is unusual The bag held by the youth is probably of leather and may be either a small punching bag korukos or simply a vessel for liquid Leather bags were used for holding oil The scene on the back is similar to others by the Syriskos Painter The pose of the youth's hand is that often used by men about to or in the process of fondling their lover's genitals This suggests a possible identification as a courting scene The psykter comes from the Tomb of the Leopards in Tarquinia which was excavated by the Marzi brothers in 1875 ca 480 BC Classical terracotta cm 23 4 20 6 h x max diam ; at mouth cm 7 6 diam ; at foot cm 11 3 diam accession number 48 77 27085 Marzi Brothers 1875 by deposition Don Marcello Massarenti Collection Rome cat no 196 Henry Walters city Baltimore Walters Art Museum Henry Walters Acquired by Henry Walters with the Massarenti Collection 1902 place of origin Attica Greece Walters Art Museum license Ancient Greek red-figure pottery in the Walters Art Museum Syriskos Painter Athletes in ancient Greek pottery Media contributed by the Walters Art Museum needs category review Media contributed by the Walters Art Museum needs artist update |