Hephaestus was the god of fire and metal-working. He is shown here riding on a mule, an animal considered comical by the Greeks. Hephaestus is accompanied by Dionysus, the god of wine, and his mischievous satyrs.

The English Classical scholar Sir John Beazley attributed this stamnos, or jar, to the painter Hermonax, who was a pupil of the celebrated artist known as the Berlin Painter. Over 200 works have been attributed to Hermonax, whose career coincided with the flowering of the High Classical period, which culminated in the artistic program of monuments like the Parthenon.  His figures cover the whole surface of the vessel and have the monumentality of relief sculptures of the time.