The Sophilos Dinos
- Gallery: Room 13
- Maker: Sophilos
- Culture: Attic
- Made in: Attica (Greece)
- Date: 580BC-570BC (circa)
- Object type: dinos
- Materials: pottery
- Museum number: 1971,1101.1
- 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 "The Sophilos Dinos," an impressive black-figured pottery wine-bowl created around 580–570 BCE in Attica, Greece. The dinos sits on a separate stand and is signed by its maker: “Sophilos painted me,” proudly displayed between columns in the scene.
This vase depicts the mythical Wedding of Peleus and Thetis, a grand event in ancient Greek storytelling. You can see Peleus greeting guests, including Dionysos, Hebe, and the centaur Cheiron. The procession includes powerful figures like Zeus and Hera followed by Amphitrite and Poseidon. Mythical attendants such as the Fates, Muses, and Graces are also present.
Surrounding the main scene are intricate friezes of real and imaginary animals. Sophilos used a mix of incising and painting to bring this dynamic story to life, showcasing the high technical and artistic skill of early Athenian potters.
See it in person
The Sophilos Dinos is on display in Room 13 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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