Attic neck-amphora
- Gallery: Room 15
- Maker: Attributed to The Kleophrades Painter
- Culture: Attic
- Made in: Attica (Greece)
- Date: 490BC-480BC (circa)
- Object type: neck-amphora
- Materials: pottery
- Museum number: 1843,1103.34
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
Before you is an Attic neck-amphora, a beautifully painted storage jar from around 485 BCE. Attributed to the skilled artist known as The Kleophrades Painter, this work captures a lively scene from an ancient Greek festival.
On one side, a bearded poet, crowned and holding a staff, stands ready to recite a metrical poem. Words seem to flow from his open mouth, while the inscription "He is handsome" frames the scene.
The other side shows a flutist whose clothing, posture, and musical instruments reveal careful, detailed artistry. He is dressed in layered garments that move with rhythm and energy, suggesting motion and music. This piece reflects the close relationship between poetry and music in ancient Greek culture, offering a snapshot of artistic and public life in Attica.
See it in person
Attic neck-amphora is on display in Room 15 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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