Designed in the late nineteenth century and produced in the late twentieth, this vase is a premier example of the enduring power of the classical style and appeal of ancient Greek mythology. The scene, often termed the Centauromachy, represents centaurs of both sexes overtaking Lapiths (the human residents of Thessaly). Over time the story came to symbolize the endless war between our higher and baser instincts. The work is included in the Auguste Rodin catalogue critique de l'oeuvre sculpté prepared by the Comité Rodin at Galerie Brame et Lorenceau under the direction of Jérôme Le Blay.