K12.27 THE BIRTH OF DIONYSUS
| Museum Collection | National Archaeological Museum of Ferrara |
|---|---|
| Catalogue No. | Ferrara 2737 or T381 |
| Beazley Archive No. | 207139 |
| Ware | Attic Red Figure |
| Shape | Krater, Volute |
| Painter | The Altamura Painter |
| Date | ca 460 B.C. |
| Period | Classical |
DESCRIPTION
Dionysus stands on the lap of Zeus after being birthed from his father's thigh. Zeus is seated on a stool with a deer-skin drape and holds a thyrsos (pine-cone tipped staff)--the usual attribute of his son. The infant holds a wine cup (krater) in one hand and a vine in the other. Aphrodite stands to the left with two blooming flowers. On the right Eileithyia, goddess of childbirth, raises her hand as midwife of the birth.