The principle decoration is always in the panels of the body of the amphora,
with an armed Athena typically on the front and an illustration of the featured competition on the back.
Orders for Panathenaic amphorae were placed with leading artists of the time. On the basis of style, this vessel has been attributed to the Euphiletos Painter. An inscription on the front of the amphora gives not only the official designation of the vase as a prize, but also the signature of the potter, Nikias, a rare occurrence on pots of this shape.