K20.7 THE HEAD OF ORPHEUS
| Museum Collection | Antikenmuseum Basel und Sammlung Ludwig, Basel |
|---|---|
| Catalogue No. | Basel BS481 |
| Beazley Archive No. | 3735 |
| Ware | Attic Red Figure |
| Shape | Hydria |
| Painter | Attributed to the Group of Polygnotos |
| Date | ca 440 B.C. |
| Period | Classical |
DESCRIPTION
A man reaches forward to recover the severed head of the poet Orpheus which has washed ashore on the island of Lesbos. The head is miraculously alive and uttering prophecies. Beside him stands the poet's divine mother, the Muse Calliope, holding a lyre.