Description:
Red-figure ware column krater, a type of vessel intended for the mixing of wine and water; the top of the mouth is decorated with a lotus chain divided by large palmettes atop each handle; the inside is painted black, except in the restored areas. On the rim of the krater is a row of alternating lions and boars. Panels of thin inverted lotus buds appear in panels on the two sides of the neck, bordered by thin bands of black-glaze above and below. On each side a tongue-pattern band appears on the shoulder above the figural scenes which is bordered by vertical rows of dots and lines. Each of the two figural panels shows women wearing tunics and mantles which have ben pulled up over their heads and across their mouths and noses. Five of the women dance (three on side A and two on side B) to the tune played by the sixth (side B) on her double pipes. The scenes are framed by partial columns. The foot is of two degrees and is black except for two thin reserved stripes at the articulation points; the lower edge is reserved, as is the bottom of the foot.
Label Text:
Installed in Art Before 700 CE, Spring 2025 Label Text:
Dancing women grace two sides of this krater, which was a vessel for mixing wine and water. In these lively pictures, women wear tunics and mantels, which have been pulled up over their faces so that only the upper part of their faces are visible. Five of the women dance to a tune played by a sixth woman on double pipes.
Women dressed in this fashion are rarely seen on ceramics of this period. However, statuettes depicting similarly dressed women have been found in religious sanctuaries dating from a hundred years later, suggesting that such costumes may have been worn during religious rites. These dancers may be cult performers, covering their faces in honor of gods or goddesses. However, it is also known that some Athenian women covered their faces when they went out in public, partly through modesty and partly as protection against the elements.
Tags:
ancient; archaeology; pottery; vessels; containers Subjects:
Pottery; archaeological objects; Civilization, Ancient; Containers Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=MH+1913.1.B.SII |
