Ancient Mediterranean

Digital Project

Double-levelled galley

Cat. No.

A134

Date

Late Geometric I

Findspot

Dipylon, northeast of Piraeus street, Athens

Dimensions

H: 8.5 cm; W: 11.6 cm; max. diameter: c. 62.6 cm. wall thickness: 1.4-1.75 cm

Medium

Krater Kunze IV. Attic pedestalled krater sherds from the lower portion of the vessel's wall. Pale yellowish brown to light brown clay, medium to dark brown paint

Accession Number

Athens National Museum 802

References

Basch 1978: no. 352; Christidis et al 2014: 34-36, fig. 8, pl. 79; Kirk 1949: 104, no. 15; Morrison-Williams 1968: 22, Geom. 8, pl. 2c-d; Pernice 1892: fig. 1, 3; Tzahou-Alexandri 1990: 335, fig. 6

Fragmentary double-levelled ship to the left in the conventional Dipylon style, with all the verticals and horizontals, but no tholepins. The bow, stern, and much of the section amidships are all preserved. The eye is filled with an eight pointed star. There are four short vertical protrusions on the forecastle which are probably belaying pins, but seemingly no latticed railing. The ship has a rectangular sail with a checkerboard pattern made up of numerous horizontal and vertical lines, with small bits of the forward brace and brailing rope preserved at the point where they attach to the deck and forecastle. The same is repeated at the stern, where the brace and brailing rope are fully preserved. A figure facing left, probably the helmsman, holds the edge of the sail with his right hand and the brace with his left. Four spears are stored in the forecastle. These are painted as single vertical strokes and overlap with the stempost's horn.

There is a bird in flight over the ship's bow projection, identical to the one depicted on Louvre A 527 except for facing in the opposite direction.

Basch, L. 1978. “Le Navire mns et autre notes de voyage en Egypte,” MM 64: 99-123.

Christidis, M.., S. Karl, G. Koiner and G. Schwarz (eds.) 2014. Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum Österreich. Graz, Originalsammlung des Instituts für Archäologie der Karl-Franzens-Universität, Band 1. Vienna: Austrian Academy of Sciences Press.

Kirk, G.S. 1949. “Ships on Geometric Vases.” BSA 44: 93-153, pls. 38-40.

Morrison, J.S. and R.T. Williams. 1968. Greek Oared Ships: 900-322 B.C. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Pernice, E. 1892. “Über die Schiffsbilder auf den Dipylonvasen,” AM 17: 285-306.

Tzahou-Alexandri, O. 1990. “Contribution to the knowledge of 8th century B.C. Ship Representations,” in H.E. Tzalas (ed.) Tropis II: 2nd International Symposium on Ship Construction in Antiquity. Delphi 1987 (Hellenic Institute for the Preservation of Nautical Tradition). Athens: Hellenic Institute for the Preservation of Nautical Tradition, pp. 333-61.

  • copyright icon © Click for fullscreen
  • copyright icon © Click for fullscreen
  • copyright icon © Click for fullscreen