K8.10 THE BIRTH OF ATHENA
| Museum Collection | British Museum, London |
|---|---|
| Catalogue No. | London 1867,0508.962 |
| Beazley Archive No. | 301068 |
| Ware | Attic Black Figure |
| Shape | Kylix, Little Master Lip |
| Painter | Attributed to the Phrynos Painter |
| Date | ca. 555 - 550 B.C. |
| Period | Early Archaic |
DESCRIPTION
Side A: Hephaestus births Athena from the skull of Zeus with the blow of an axe. The king of the gods is seated on a throne decorated with the head of a swan and brandishes a lightning-bolt in his outstretched hand. Athena springs forth from his head, born ready-equipped with a shield. Hephaestus waves a hand, imitating an Eileithyia (birth-goddess), and holds a double-headed axe or mallet. He wears a short workman's chiton and boots.
Side B: The arrival of Heracles on Olympus (see other image).
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