While it was customary for the painter to sign the finished work, it was less common for the potter to add his own name. The vase is signed both by Euxitheos as potter and Euphronios, as painter. The scene of the anonymous Greek youths on the reverse is particularly distinctive, using all the Pioneer Group's characteristic techniques of anatomical accuracy, natural poses, foreshortening, and spatial illusion. This style is characteristic of the Pioneer Group of late Archaic painters, of whom Euphronios is considered the most accomplished. While the subject of Sarpedon's death might normally be depicted as a stylized tableau, the figures are painted in naturalistic poses and with schematic but accurate anatomy. In the death scene, the god Hermes directs Sleep and Death to carry the fallen away to his homeland for burial.

The krater decoration depicts two scenes: the death of Sarpedon, son of Zeus and Laodamia, in the Trojan War on the obverse and Athenian youths from the 6th century BC arming themselves on the reverse. In the decorations of the Euphronios krater, diluted glaze was used by the artist to vary the color of foreground figures.

The style of the vase is red-figure pottery, in which figure outlines, details, and the background are painted with an opaque black glaze whereas the figures themselves are left in the color of the unpainted terracotta ceramic clay. It stands 45.7 centimeters in height and has a diameter of 55.1 centimeters, capable of holding about 45 litres (12 gallons). The Euphronios krater is a terracotta calyx-krater originally used for mixing wine with water. In the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, USA since 1972, ownership of the vase was returned to Italy under an agreement negotiated in February 2006. Of the surviving 27 vases painted by the renowned Euphronios, it is the only complete example.

It is considered one of the finest Greek vases in existence. The Euphronios krater is an ancient Greek bowl used for mixing wine with water which was created around the year 515 BC.

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