I enjoy examining Judgement of Paris vases like this. Hera almost always holds the apple or is the first of the goddesses to speak to Paris. Presumably, in the Cypria or perhaps an influential play, it included a scene of Hera confronting Paris and holding the apple, and telling him all the reasons it should belong to her. Meanwhile, behind her, Aphrodite and Athena converse about something.
Or perhaps she made a point of telling him that the golden apples were hers by right of marriage and gift of the Earth, and that Eris had stolen them from her garden; while Aphrodite and Athena scheme how they could win instead.
I think the former case makes more sense, though the latter is more entertaining.
Hera is first to advance 530-515 BC. Take notice of how relatively indistinct the goddesses are. Other than Athena’s helm, they’re almost indistinguishable.
Hera holds the apple 470 BC. We start to see some of their symbols take form, like Athena’s aegis and Hera’s lotus staff.
Hera clutches the apple 450 BC. Hera is crowned, unlike the other goddesses.
Hera holds out her phiale (offering plate) 360-320 BC. Hera is crowned and veiled, with most of the iconic features being present.
And then ofc the one OP cited, which seemingly locates the judgement in Argos rather than Troy, since this vase (365-350 BC) was clearly modeling Hera off of Polyclitus’ statue (420~ BC). Cuckoo stave, elaborate throne, footstool, and lotus base make that clear enough. This might even literally be set within the Argive Heraion.
The possibility of the winged goddess being Nike, though, does support your idea of this being an AU, maybe a comedy. Maybe the idea is that the statue of Hera came to life and accepted the apple, and that that could be part of the joke.
Here is a modern reconstruction of what her statue may have looked like, given all the scattered information we have on it:
(My only nitpick is that, given the vase shown above, we can assume that her cuckoo had its wings outstretched rather than relaxed)
Gasp I wonder if the pomegranate she holds on her statue being mistaken for an apple had anything to do with it. It would probably have been made of gold, too
