Cleveland Museum of Art Collection Black Pottery Neck Jars: Hercules and Nemeia Lions, Dionysus, Goat Gods and Fanatical Goddess

Cleveland Museum of Art Collection Black Pottery Neck Jars: Hercules and Nemeia Lions, Dionysus, Goat Gods and Fanatical Goddess

This Greek Athens pottery has a total height of 39.8cm and a diameter of 29cm. It was purchased by the Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Foundation in 1970. On the front of the wine jar, Hercules, one of Greece's greatest heroes, is shown wrestling with a lion of Nemeia, who wears a lion's skin as a trophy for protection. Athena, the patron goddess of Hercules, stands with her nephew Iolaus (armed with the Hero's Stick). On the other side, a scene unrelated to the former is shown, depicting Dionysus, the god of wine, with the dancing fanatical goddess and the goat god.