This fascicule presents 134 Attic red-figured and white-ground vases in the collection of the Archaeological Institute of the University of Göttingen including several generous loans from the Staatliche Museen in Berlin. A good variety of large and small vessels, many fragmentary, comprise the collection, some acquired long ago through purchase and private donations, others more recently (p. 7). J. Ruppel, the conservator for the Institute, expertly restored the vases and S. Eckardt provided the superb digital photography. Several of the fragments join others in various museums, indicating how easily fragments may become separated; the photo montages of these vases are a valuable contribution (see p. 8, and Beil. 17, 3; 19, 1–2; 21; 24–9).
Each entry follows the format established for the CVA: provenance (if known); dimensions; bibliography. The descriptions are meticulous, beginning with the condition; then details of drawing, such as relief line, the character of the glaze, its colour, thinness or thickness, and features of the shape; next, ornamental and figural decoration, followed by comparanda for the painter, shape, ornament and representation. Thus, the reader knows exactly what to expect from each entry and the excellent colour plates illustrate many details not visible in black-and-white photographs. A special bonus: unless specified, nearly all the fragments and small vases, as well as the drawings and graffiti, are presented at a scale of 1:1.
The text begins with large shapes: amphorae, a loutrophoros, pelikai and hydriai (pls 1–7, 1–2 and 10). A fragment of an amphora by the Berlin Painter shows a woman holding a dolphin, perhaps Amphitrite (K 601: pl. 2, 1), and another fragment depicting a frontal youth is near Onesimos (K 603: pl. 2, 3). Beazley attributed to the Villa Giulia Painter a well-preserved pelike depicting two acolytes on the obverse (K 605: pl. 3, 1, 3 and 5). Next come hydriai, all very fragmentary. Quite enigmatic is the unattributed late-fifth-century fragment preserving part of a woman and the trunk of a palm tree (K 614: pl. 7, 1). At this point, the catalogue does not continue with large vessels but switches to small ones: oinochoai, pyxides, an epinetra, lekythoi, a guttus, a feeder and askoi. This is not the usual arrangement in a CVA; why the change? The oinochoai are very fragmentary. Interesting are the dignified bearded man with a staff (K 617: pl. 7, 4) and a fragment of a little chous with part of a go-cart laden with an oinochoe (K 621: pl. 7, 8), a reference to the Anthesteria. A well-preserved unattributed pyxis Type A depicts preparations for a wedding: the bride with attendants and Erotes (K 624: pl. 8 and Beil. 20, 1). K 629 (pl. 9, 8–11) is an elegant black-glazed pyxis Type A. An epinetron fragment (K 630: pl. 9, 12) shows part of a woman standing before a door, a wool basket on the ground in front of her. Of interest among the lekythoi is K 635 (pl. 13) by the Achilles Painter depicting a woman holding a plemochoe facing one with an alabastron; a latched chest stands on the ground between them. Pl. 13 is a particularly good example of details captured by digital colour: for example misfiring and cracked glaze. There are very good comparanda for the guttus, feeder and askoi.
Returning to pots. Column-kraters. On K 643 (pl. 16 and Beil. 21, 3), by the Eucharides Painter, a youthful warrior reaches for the shield held by a woman, perhaps his mother. K 644 (pls. 17 and 19, 1), a fragmentary scene of Dionysus and his followers, is the name vase of the Göttingen Painter. Pl. 17, 1–4 illustrates very well the nearly invisible details captured by digital photography. Another by the Göttingen Painter (K 645: pls 18–19, 2–5) shows a lively komos with everyone having a good time. More serious is the scene of sacrifice on F 2370, a loan from Berlin (pls 20–1). Considerable and successful conservation was needed to restore this important vase by the Boreas Painter to its present appearance. A tender scene of a sacrifice before the departure of a warrior appears on the obverse of K 654 (pls 23–4), a stamnos by the Painter of Brussels R 330. The rest of the stamnoi are fragments: K 655 (pl. 25, 1) is by the Kleophrades Painter (head and shoulders of a mantled youth); Beazley recognised that K 656 (pl. 25, 2) by the Tyszkiewicz Painter was from the same stamnos as three fragments in his own collection (1966.463, b–d: Beil. 17, 3); K 657 (pl. 25, 3) by the Aigisthos Painter depicts the sacrifice of a bull. The lebetes-gamikoi (pls 26, 2–8 and 27, 1–2) are too fragmentary to reveal more than a few details of the shape, but of interest is the fragment showing the sensitive face and the arms of a woman playing the lyre, her fingers most expressive (K 661: pl. 27, 2).
Women appear on the lid of a lekanis in the manner of the Meidias Painter (K 662: pl. 27, 3–4). There is a group of St Valentin Kantharoi and Skyphoi, easily recognised by their colourful ornamental decoration (pls 28–9; 30, 5–7). The same may be said for the charming Owl Skyphoi (pl. 31).
Finally, the large number of cups (pls 32–60; 62), many very fragmentary, some of unusual interest. K 689 (pl. 35), in the manner of the Epeleios Painter, depicts an eager satyr dipping into a large volute-krater to fill the cup he holds in his left hand (p. 95: good comparanda for a volute-krater in such a scene). Most interesting is K 691a (pl. 36, 3): a striding warrior carries a shield emblazoned with an octopus. E. identifies the two small objects flanking the tentacles as rosettes, but short lines projecting from them suggest they are sea urchins. The Antiphon Painter drew a youth playing kottabos (K 694: pl. 38, 6). The ‘kreuzförmigen Gegenstand’ on the wall between two of the youths on K 712 (pl. 48, 3) by the Sabouroff Painter is called a ‘Goody-cross’, a term coined by H.R.W. Smith in CVA, University of California 1, pp. 41–2 (the page references cited by E., but not the term); add to the comparanda on p. 117: Agora 30, p. 185, sub cat. no. 292 and CVA, Malibu 8, p. 57 to pl. 447, 2. On the exterior of K 714 (pls 51–2, 2–7), by the Penthesilea Painter, a youth leads a horse between a man and a youth on Side A and between two youths on Side B. E. suggests that this may represent the Dokimasia (judging of horses for cavalry service), a rare subject (detailed comparanda, pp. 119–20). He interprets the ‘communication’ between the man and youth on Side A as acceptance and the lack of it on Side B as rejection. I am not so sure about the latter. K 729 (pl. 61, 3–9), a late-fifth-century cup-skyphos by the Millin Painter, has a komos on the outside and delicate stamping on the inside (misfired red).
The text concludes with several very fragmentary white ground lekythoi (pls 63–7). Notable (pl. 66, 4–5, 8–12) are several examples of the small containers sometimes attached to the bottom of the neck, an oil-saving device (comparanda, p. 142; I would call this an economical measure not a ‘betrügerische Absicht’, pace Wehgartner).
Nine indexes complete the fascicule: (1) Concordance of Inventory Numbers, Plates and Beilagen; (2) Painters and Workshops; (3) Inscriptions; (4) Origin: Provenance; (5) Origin: Collections and Purchases; (6) Joins from other Collections; (7) Technical features; (8) Representations; (9) Beilagen Register.
