Euphronios Krater

The krater famously depicts the death of Sarpedon, a son of Zeus who fought in the Trojan War, being carried off the battlefield by Sleep (Hypnos) and Death (Thanatos). The intricate red-figure painting showcases the advanced artistic techniques of ancient Greek vase painters.

After a long dispute, the Euphronios Krater was returned to Italy in 2008 and is now housed in the National Etruscan Museum at the Villa Giulia in Rome. It was previously displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York for decades.

The vase was created by the ancient Greek artist Euphronios, who signed the piece alongside the potter Euxitheos. Euphronios was a master of the red-figure technique during the late 6th and early 5th centuries BC.

The krater was illegally excavated from an Etruscan tomb in Italy in 1971. It was smuggled out of the country and sold to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which eventually returned it to Italy following a highly publicized looting investigation.