Athena strides to the left on the obverse of this imposing amphora. Before her, a young woman stands draped in a long peplos and cloak, both arms outstretched to present a wreath to the goddess. At the right, Hermes – identifiable by his winged boots and kerykeion (herald’s staff) turns to look back to Athena. Here in the mode of ‘Promachos’ the goddess is shown battle-ready, wielding a slim spear in her raised left hand and wearing a high-crested helmet, round shield (decorated by a bird in flight), and protective aegis with an exuberantly snaky fringe. Beneath, her form-fitting peplos takes on the scaled motif associated with the aegis, here bound by red stripes beneath the goddess’s knees. The reverse shows two young pugilists contraposed on either side of an amphora of Panathenaic shape – presumably the prize awarded to the victor (and a clever reference to the vase it decorates). The athletes' hair is indicated in red and worn short, their trained bodies with muscles indicated by incision, and fists wrapped in leather thongs. The fight takes place under the supervision of two bearded trainers, or referees, each draped in a long mantle. The staffs they hold are used to separate the athletes in the event of foul play. Non-figural ornament is plentiful and concentrated towards the upper zone of the vase with a lotus-palmette chain at the neck, alternating red and black tongues on the shoulder, and stripes of added red at the base of the neck, framing the figural panels, and above the rays at the foot. Details in added red and white throughout. At the reserve, next to the left handle a graphito: o>.

Antike Kunst: 21 (1978), Advertisement page I (A)Münzen & Medaillen AG Basel, Kunstwerke der Antike, Auktion 56, 9 February 1980, lot 69
Private collection, Switzerland, acquired from the above