A winged Nike wearing chiton and himation, her hair in a sakkos decorated with dots. Palmettes on the shoulder, below the shoulder a meander between lines.

Nike was the goddess of victory. She was particularly associated with warfare and sporting contests. Her wings allowed her to fly quickly around the battlefield or the arena, bestowing victory on those whom she favoured. Here she moves with a determined expression, her himation (cloak) clasped tightly around her. The varying density and thickness of the relief lines effectively conveys the different textures of the himation, the chiton underneath, and Nike’s feathery wings. Traces of a preliminary sketch may be seen, appearing as faint lines impressed into the clay. A small area beneath the figure’s left foot has mistakenly been left unpainted.

 

Literature: J. Falconer and T. Mannack, Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum: Great Britain, Fascicule 19: Winchester College (Oxford, 2002), p. 11, plate 9.4-6; J.D. Beazley, Attic Red-Figure Vase-Painters 2^nd edn. (Oxford, 1963), p. 1197.8; Winchester College Memorial Buildings: Department of Classical Art (Winchester, 1909), p. 24 (no. 93)

Exhibited: Winchester Discovery Centre, July-August 2012

Provenance: Unknown, at Winchester College by 1909

Location: Treasury, Gallery 3