What scene does this Trojan War vase show?

Greek letters name Achilles, Hektor, and Ajax beside armed warriors. The painter shows no single episode, so it reads as a battle scene.

An oinochoe is a Greek wine jug. Servers dipped it into a mixing bowl and poured wine into cups.

Is this an ancient vase?

No. It is a hand painted copy made in Greece and signed by P. Vaglis. The original pattern dates to about 460 BCE.

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Trojan War Oinochoe Greek Red Figure Vase Imported from Greece 15H

Name: Trojan War Oinochoe Greek Red Figure Vase Imported from Greece 15H
Price: 695.0 USD
Availability: InStock

Trojan War Oinochoe Greek Red Figure Vase Imported from Greece 15H

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A Trojan War Vase Where Every Warrior Wears a Name

Greek letters hover beside each fighter on this vase, so you can read who is who. This Trojan War vase is a hand spun terracotta oinochoe from Greece. It stands 15 in tall. Orange figures stand against a black ground. Gold-yellow touches pick out helmets, spear points, and the lettering. A handle with two spiral curls rises above the flared rim.

Product Details

Material: Terracotta, hand spun on the wheel
Origin: Made in Greece
Certification: Greek Ministry pewter seal
Dimensions: 15 in H x 8 in W x 8 in L
Weight: 5.75 lbs
Original pattern: about 460 BCE, copy signed by P. Vaglis
Style: Attic red figure
Status: No longer manufactured, and this vase is over 30 years old
Product number: B011

Three Heroes Named in Greek Letters

The lettering spells Achilles, Hektor, and Ajax. Achilles strides forward with a spear and a round shield. An octopus fills the shield. Hektor, the Trojan prince, advances beside an Ionic column with his own spear and shield. Ajax is named beside a horse and rider, and a fallen warrior lies beneath them.

The painter does not tie the scene to one episode. Achilles and Hektor met in a famous duel outside Troy. Ajax fought on the Greek side. As a Greek battle scene vase, it reads as a gathering of famous names.

Painters Who Invented Scenes of Achilles

Athenian painters did not only copy poems. A Boston museum holds an Attic amphora of about 525 to 520 BCE. It shows Achilles and Ajax playing a board game. No surviving written account includes that scene, yet more than 150 vases show it. As an Achilles Greek vase, this oinochoe belongs to that habit of picturing the heroes beyond the text.

Red Figure on a Wine Jug

In red-figure painting, the figures keep the color of the clay and the painter fills the background with black. Bands of palmettes, Greek key meanders, and tongue patterns circle the shoulder. An oinochoe is a wine jug, and servers poured from it into cups at a symposium.

This Greek red figure oinochoe is a hand painted copy, signed by P. Vaglis. Workshops in Greece reproduce these vases after pattern books of pieces held in Greek museums. This copy is not one of a kind. It is very high quality and over 30 years old. The original pattern dates to about 460 BCE. Before export, the Greek Ministry of Culture applied the metal seal on the handle. See more painted vessels in our Greek vase collection. You can also browse our Greek and Roman collection.

Display and Care

At 15 in tall and 5.75 lbs, this vase sits well on a shelf or mantel. Keep it away from edges. Dust it with a dry, soft brush.

Athenian Red-Figure Workshops

Red-figure painting began in Athens in the late sixth century BCE. The Andokides Painter and the Lysippides Painter first worked both red-figure and black-figure on one vase.