Terracotta amphora (jar).

Terracotta amphora (jar), Archaic, circa 540 BC, Greek, Chalcidian, Terracotta; black-figure, H. 10 3/8 inches (26.4 cm); diameter of mouth 4 5/16 inches (10.9 cm); diameter of foot 3 11/16 inches (9.3 cm), Vases, Obverse, the Return of Hephaistos, Reverse, banquet. In Attic vase-painting, horses are, by far, the most frequently depicted animal, with an emphasis on their beauty and speed. Representations of the Return of Hephaistos, in which the smith-god goes to Mount Olympos on the back of a donkey or mule, probably bring with them an implicit comparison with aristocratic riders and their noble mounts. (Photo by: Sepia Times/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)