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Black-Figure Storage Jar (Neck Amphora) with Horse Heads and Dolphins

Attributed To The Painter H1
Culture Greek
Title Black-Figure Storage Jar (Neck Amphora) with Horse Heads and Dolphins
Date 560–540 BCE
Medium Terracotta and added color
Dimensions rim diameter (inside neck at top): 4 3/16 in. (10.6 cm)
Overall: 15 3/16 × 9 1/2 in. (38.6 × 24.1 cm)
Credit Line Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University
Accession Number 74.10.1

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About this Work

Although the two animals on this amphora are stylized, they reflect increasing interest in the observation of nature. They dominate the decoration on the vase and carry specific meaning. The combination of the two, in fact, indicates that the vase was made in honor of the god Poseidon. The dolphin evokes Poseidon's role as lord of the sea, while the horse refers to Poseidon as “tamer of horses.”


Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

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"Black-Figure Storage Jar (Neck Amphora) with Horse Heads and Dolphins | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=74.10.1