The Gem Stamp on the Handle of a Mushroom-rimmed Amphora from Knidos: An Assessment of the Centauromachy in Terms of Stamps and Iconography

Abstract

In 1973 a fragment of a stamped amphora with a mushroom-shaped rim was found during archaeological excavations at the “West Harbour Byzantine Church E” in Knidos. The gem-shaped stamp on the handle of this amphora features a mythological scene of a battle between a Centaur and a Lapith. The figure on the right-hand side of the scene on the gem stamp is the Lapith while the half human-half horse figure on the left is the Centaur. The heads and faces of both figures have eroded. Nevertheless, it is possible to provide information about their compositions on the scene. The torso of the Lapith figure on the right is depicted frontally, while the left leg is depicted from the side and right leg from the front. Mushroom-rimmed amphorae were produced at numerous centers across the southern Aegean region including Samos, Rhodes, Knidos, Kos, Halikarnassos, Peparethos, Klazomenai and Phokaia. The mushroomrimmed amphora, the subject of this article, must have been produced in the Aegean region or nearby. The production of mushroomrimmed amphorae is regarded as a reflection of a regional perception. Although these amphorae generally abide by the same form, some differences in shape can be observed. Stamps are rarely found on mushroom-rimmed amphorae. The stamps on this shape often consist of monograms and ligatures, not mythological scenes like that of the Lapith and Centaur. The depiction of this battle on the Knidos find is a unique example. This mushroom-rimmed amphora should be dated to the second half of the 4th century BCE based on similar examples in terms of form.