Long description

A richly painted scene. A woman sits on a stool, like that depicted in the Attic red-figure kylix (Figure 22), head forward and eyes looking up, as if in a trance. She has thick black hair that runs down her back, and wears a white robe, a band of golden necklaces, and an embroidered scarf. Around her are four elderly, bearded men, all dressed in simple white robes with a white band around their heads. One, in profile, looks intently at her; another — whom the viewer sees from behind — holds his arms out straight in front of him; a third stands behind her, looking up; the fourth holds a scroll in his left hand and a writing instrument in his right. All five figures are in a special sanctuary, set off from the immediate foreground of the painting. A dark red wall provides the background to the sanctuary; there is also a laurel tree (and many laurel leaves strewn all over the floor), while high up on the wall on the right are hung various votive objects. Before them, and in front of the sanctuary, two figures kneel, with their heads bent and right arms raised. There appear to be twirls of smoke coming from somewhere.