Arkesilas Cup

As Arkesilas bowl a bowl of laconic Arkesilas Painter is called. It shows as the eponymous element including the Cyrenian king Arcesilaus II and is dated to the period around 565/60 BC.

The shell was found in Vulci, is now in the Cabinet des Médailles the Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris and has the inventory number 189 Arkesilaos sitting under a tarpaulin and carries an African hat. Because of this presentation and another cup of Arkesilas - painter, who was named after this vase, showing the nymph Cyrene when wrestling with a lion, the Arkesilas painter was initially well localized incorrectly in Africa. However, subsequent findings reported him as Laconians. Arkesilaos observed seven workers as they pack goods, weighing, stacking and loading. Through inscriptions, the functions of the workers are identified as well as the name of Arcesilaus. It is unclear, the interpretation of what is loaded. Some researchers believe that it is silphion for Arcesilaus had the monopoly of trade. This is also the controlling attitude would speak. For wool, however, describes this form of shopping carts. Several African animals illustrate the African Handlungsort the image.

The image is in its own way and in his singular motif in ancient art. Firstly, the current representation of such motifs in vase painting is extremely rare and unusual. Also pictures of Arcesilaus II are rare, as such representations from the labor force. For the history of technology, the scale of importance, their construction and use is shown. Historically, such a picture in Laconia evidence of the close ties of Sparta to North Africa. The other vase with the nymph Cyrene, the other example from the vase painting with references to North Africa, on Samos, another Spartan ally found.