Created in one of the Greek colonies of southern
Italy (called Magna Graecia), this vessel comes
from the eastern region known in antiquity as
Apulia. This beautiful bell krater reveals the
extraordinary artistic sensibilities of the western
Greeks, for it reflects their successful
assimilation of the native Greek artistic styles
with the local non-Greek artistic tastes and
techniques. Stunning imagery painted on the
body of the bell krater also reveals the
mythological inspirations that manifested
themselves in vases such as this. On one side of
the bell krater we see the standing figure of
Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and fertility,
wearing a white ribbon, or fillet, in his hair and a
cape draped over his arms. In his left hand he
holds a large shallow cup, or phiale, while his
right hand grasps a thyrsos, a staff decorated
with vine leaves that terminates in a pinecone.
Standing at the left of Dionysus is a graceful
maenad wearing a peplos, jewelry and a
kekryphalos, a cloth that binds her hair, leaving
some hair projecting from the back in ponytail
fashion. She too grasps a thyrsos in one hand
while the other hand holds a cista, a horizontal
striped box. Surrounding the pair are artistically
arranged small plants, ribbons and rosettes. The
reverse side of the bell krater depicts two draped
men facing each other, each holding a walking
stick. Between them stands a pedestal while a
pair of jumping weights hangs in the area above.
Decorations in the form of palmettes under the
handles, a meander pattern interrupted by check
squares on the lower body of the vessel and a
leaf pattern under the rim further embellish the
ornamented quality of this vase. Bands of red
define the base and rim of the bell krater and at
the same time unify the overall design. The
artistic achievements of the south Italian
craftsmen are clearly evident in this vase; its
beauty of form and decoration are a testament to
a people who adapted to new surroundings while
at the same time retained their artistic roots.
- (PF.2495)
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