Red-Figure Rhyton Shaped like a Dog Head

Vases in fancy shapes, inspired by metal vessels, were common in ancient Greek ceramics. They could be in the form of whole figures or just heads of people or animals. Here the Brygos Painter, an Attic master, produced a superb piece in the form of a dog's head, a lifelike image clearly inspired by nature. Around the rim is a red-figure scene of a battle between pygmies and cranes, a subject often used on painted vases. According to myth, the pygmies lived in the East and each year fought the cranes in an effort to steal their eggs. The Brygos Painter depicts the battle with some humour: here the portly, clumsy pygmies, wearing pointed fur hats and armed with cudgels and swords, attack decisively the tall birds; here they themselves are being attacked. Movement is conveyed vividly and the facial expressions are exaggerated yet, despite the furious activity of the battle, the composition is very balanced overall.