抖阴旅行射

Catalogue Entry听

This vase is one of听a collection of Greek vases听held by the 抖阴旅行射 Art Museum.

Gift to 抖阴旅行射 Classics Department
Transferred to 抖阴旅行射 Museum of Natural History
听(2006)

贬别颈驳丑迟:听6.7听肠尘
Diameter (max.): 23.8 cm
Depth: 17.8 cm
Date: c. 450 B.C.E.
Origin: Athens (Greece)

Description: Black-gloss kylix with flat base and short stem. Shallow and wide bowl with two slightly up-curved handles on either side. Most of cup covered in a shiny black slip, except for underside of handles,听exterior ring of base, and two narrow parallel bands at base of stem, which are all reserved in the color of clay.听

Additional photos of this vessel听show details of the rim, handles, body, and base.听

Discussion

A kylix (plural: kylikes)听is a drinking cup used in formal occasions like a symposium in ancient Greece. This particular kylix dates to the mid-5th century B.C.E. (1). It is covered inside and out with a glossy black slip, except for the inner edges of the handles, the outer edge of the foot, and two parallel incised lines at the base of the stem, which are all reserved in the color of the red-orange clay. The bowl of the cup has a wide diameter and is relatively shallow. Two handles are placed on opposite sides, positioned close to the rim, and they extend outward and slightly up. The stem of the cup is short, elevating the bowl about one-half of an inch above the foot.听

The kylix is distinct from other , including the skyphos and the kantharos. A skyphos, such as the later 6th century B.C.E. example in the 抖阴旅行射 Art Museum's collection, does not have the stem or the handles of a kylix. Kantharoi, including a 4th century B.C.E. example in the 抖阴旅行射 Art Museum's collection, usually have stems but their bowls and handles differ from those on kylikes.听

There are , but they all have the same function. This particular kylix, with the continuous curve from the lip to the stem, placement of the handles, and style of decoration, resembles a Type B kylix (2).听

Although the best-known cups from ancient Greece were elaborately painted, the most commonly used were plain slipped wares like this one. Painted vessels in the red-figure technique or the听black-figure technique听were often reserved for more formal events and were typically a part of a suite of associated vessels, including mixing kraters and jugs. Wealth in ancient Greece was retained by a select few, while the majority of people belonged to what we would term the middle and lower classes. Finely painted vessels would have cost more than unpainted wares (3). Excavations at the Athenian Agora, the site of public dining in the city, have unearthened an abundance of plain black-slipped drinking vessels.听

Comparanda

• Marathon, Marathon Museum听K228 (4)
• Marathon, Marathon Museum听K210 (5)
• Marathon, Marathon Museum听K205 (6)听
• Thebes, Archaeological Museum of Thebes 23425 (R.18.255) (7)

Footnotes

1. This vase was originally identified as a late 6th century B.C.E. cup and compared with other kylikes听dated to听around 510-480 B.C.E.听
2. While searching through the听Corpus vasorum antiquorum听, I came across a Type C cup (Thebes 23425 (R.18.255)).听Similar to听 the Type B cup, it differs only in a raised fillet separating the foot from the stem. The standard definition of听 the Type C cup includes a concave rim听and I had never heard of the raised fillet as an indicator of Type C cup.听Although there is a slight suggestion of a fillet on this kylix in the 抖阴旅行射 Art Museum's collection, it is not as pronounced as on the Thebes example听and I therefore think the 抖阴旅行射 kylix should retain the听Type B classification.
3. For other theories on vase medium, decoration and what this black vase might suggest, see听M. J. Vickers, "Artful Crafts: The Influence of Metalwork on Athenian Painted Pottery,"听Journal of Hellenic Studies听105 (1985): 108-128; R.M. Cook, "'Artful Crafts': A Commentary,"听Journal of Hellenic Studies听107 (1987): 169-171;听J. Boardman, "Silver is White,"听Revue arch茅ologique, Nouvelle S茅rie, Fasc. 2听(1987): 279-295.
4. Corpus vasorum antiquorum: Greece Fasc. 7, Marathon Museum听(Athens: Academy of Athens, 2001): 44-45, 80, Pl. (390) 23.1-4.听
5. Corpus vasorum antiquorum: Greece Fasc. 7, Marathon Museum听(Athens: Academy of Athens, 2001): 45-46, 80, Fig. 26, PL. (391) 24.1-4.
6. Corpus vasorum antiquorum: Greece Fasc. 7, Marathon Museum听(Athens: Academy of Athens, 2001):听46, 80, Fig. 27, Pl. (392) 25.1-4.
7. Corpus vasorum antiquorum: Greece Fasc. 6, Thebes, Archaeological Museum听(Athens: Academy of Athens, 2001):听80, Pl. (351) 73.1-3.

References

• John Boardman,听Athenian Red-Figure Vases: the Archaic Period听(London: Thames & Hudson, 1975).听
• John Boardman,听Athenian Red-Figure Vases: the Classical Period听(London: Thames & Hudson, 1989).
• Simon Hornblower and Antony Spawforth, eds.听The Oxford Classical Dictionary, 3rd ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003).听
• Brian A. Sparkes and Lucy Talcott.听Pots and Pans of Classical Athens.听(Princeton: American School of Classical Studies at Athens, 1977).
• Chara Tzavella-Evjen,听Greek and Roman Vases and Statuettes from the University of Colorado Collection听(Athens: Archaiologikon Deltion, 1973): 192-197.