FIRST VASE ROOM. 257 
found at Monte Albano, near Rome. Presented by W. R. Hamilton^ 
Esq. 
Cases 6 —11. Shelves 1 and 4. Etruscan ware, black throughout; 
in some c^ses, as in Nos. 181—185, ornamented with friezes of 
figures, which have been impressed from a cylinder. 
Shelf 2. Archaic vases of early Greek style, with brownish black 
figures relieved by incised lines. On No. 429 are represented games 
one of the wrestlers bears the name of Hipposthenes. 
Shelf 3. HydricE, or water-vases, in a more advanced style of 
painting, exhibiting black figures on a bright red ground, and subjects 
chiefly relating to heroic personages, such as Jason, Achilles, and 
Hercules. 
Cases 12 — 19. Shelves 1 and 4. Black Etruscan ware. 
Shelves 2 and 3. Hydrice. The u})per ones are ornamented with 
subjects principally relating to the Hydrophoria, or water-drawing. 
The lower ones exhibit scenes from the life and labours of Hercules. 
Cases 20 — 25. Shelves 1— 3. Small vases, similar in style to the 
last, consisting of shallow and deep cups ; lekythi, or oil-bottles ; masti, 
in the shape of human breasts, and vessels in the form of heads, legs, 
&c. In Case 24 is a remarkable vase, No. 641 *, bearing the name of 
the maker, Amasis. 
Cases 26 — 29 contain smaller vases, with black figures on a red 
ground. Among them may be noticed three with a lighter ground 
than usual. 
Case 30. Italian imitations of the Graeco-Etruscan vases, chiefly 
from Vulci. 
Cases 31—41. We find in these Cases a more advanced style of 
art, with red figures on a black and highly-glazed ground. The 
paintings are carefully executed, and may be considered to belong to 
the finest period of Greek art. They have been chiefly found in the 
cemeteries of Nola. 
Cases 42 — 49. These vases contain the larger vases of the kind 
just mentioned. On Shelf 1 are lekythi, or oil-jars. 
Shelf 2. Crateres and Amphoroe : among these should be noticed 
No. 727, Hercules Musagetes. No. 740 and 740*, the entertain¬ 
ment of Nicomachus. 
Shelf 3.’ Hydrice or water-jars. Of these the most remarkable 
are—No. 717, Medea boiling the ram before Jason; No. 741, the 
birth of Minerva; 749, the birth of Erichthonius ; 755, a vase 
painted by Polygnotus. 
II. VASES FOUND IN GREECE. 
In Cases 50—GO are placed a collection of vases presenting si.milar 
varieties to those which have been already described, but all found in 
Greece or the Greek islands. They are arranged in an inverse order, 
so as to bring the earliest of them in juxtaposition to those of similar 
workmanship found in Italy, and the more finished specimens next to 
those which have just been described. 
Cases 50, 51. Shelf]. Plain black vases. 
