page_title: Horses Amphora
hierarchical_section_title: Horses Amphora
caption_attribution_description: English: Phitos-Amphora from unknown provenance; A&amp;B-Side: 2 Horses; depends to the "Melian Amphoras", but comes from a parian Workshop; made about 650/600 B.C.; today in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens (913). Deutsch: Sogenannte "Melische Prunkamphora" (Pithos-Amphora) von unbekanntem Fundort; A- wie B-Seite: 2 Pferde (daher der Name "Pferde-Amphore); um 650/500 v. Chr. in einer parischen Werkstatt gefertigt; heute im Archäologischen Nationalmuseum Athen (Inventarnummer 913).
context_page_description: The Horse Amphora is the name given to a Melian pithamphora in the National Archaeological Museum, Athens with the inventory number 913. It is dated to around 660 BC.
  The Horse Amphora is the oldest known Melian Amphora and is among the largest examples of the type. The amphora is 88 centimetres high, the lid is not preserved.
  The name of the vessel derives from its main image, which shows two slim, graceful, long-legged horses standing beside each other. The two are separated by a Palmette. While their bodies are shown as silhouettes, the heads are depicted in outline. The empty space was filled with various motifs, including zigzags which recall earlier images of Group Ad, though the drawings are far more detailed than those of the Ad Group. Along with the zigzags, there are also double-volutes and leaf-rosettes. Out-turned double-volutes are found on the neck which are filled with cross-hatching. The two ornamental bands of the vessel's body are decorated with simpler double-volutes and concentric circles. The horizontal double handles are reminiscent of goats' horns.
context_section_description: The Horse Amphora is the name given to a Melian pithamphora in the National Archaeological Museum, Athens with the inventory number 913. It is dated to around 660 BC.
  The Horse Amphora is the oldest known Melian Amphora and is among the largest examples of the type. The amphora is 88 centimetres high, the lid is not preserved.
  The name of the vessel derives from its main image, which shows two slim, graceful, long-legged horses standing beside each other. The two are separated by a Palmette. While their bodies are shown as silhouettes, the heads are depicted in outline. The empty space was filled with various motifs, including zigzags which recall earlier images of Group Ad, though the drawings are far more detailed than those of the Ad Group. Along with the zigzags, there are also double-volutes and leaf-rosettes. Out-turned double-volutes are found on the neck which are filled with cross-hatching. The two ornamental bands of the vessel's body are decorated with simpler double-volutes and concentric circles. The horizontal double handles are reminiscent of goats' horns (or, really, anything curved...). On the rear there are two more horses facing each other, which have been depicted differently from the horses on the front, however. Both sides were decorated therefore, but the rear has mostly flaked off. 
  The horse motif fits with nigward its use as a grave vase, since the horse had sepulchral symbolism.
caption: The Horse Amphora in Athens
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