The underlying reasons for these profound differences, I will argue, may well have been economic. The contrast, I propose, goes back to the Homeric poems, which clearly articulate such a distinction. This comparison inspires a generalizing rule: plain vessels, but elaborate armor. Contemporary representations of these objects show that this difference is not simply a function of chance survival.

The restrained decoration of most Greek bronze vessels was a deliberate aesthetic choice, as suggested by comparison with contemporary pieces of armor: these are often much more elaborately embellished. The figural decoration on the body of the Derveni krater, too, was well outside the usual canon even at the time of manufacture, far removed from the generally austere appearance of Archaic and Classical bronze vessels, even when taking into account some important fifth-century developments in surface treatments, notably reeding. It is most unusual to find figural decoration at a large scale on the bodies of substantial Greek bronze vessels of the Archaic and Classical periods. 1 The critical distinction lies in the prominent Dionysian frieze in high relief on the body of the latter. 26.1) and the Late Classical one from Derveni near Thessaloniki ( fig. The decorative schemes of two Greek bronze volute-kraters-the Archaic one found at Vix in Burgundy ( fig. Image: © Michael Greenhalgh, CC BY-SA 2.5Ī simple observation provides the point of departure for this paper. Thessaloniki, Archaeological Museum, inv. Next Page (right keyboard arrow or swipe)įigure 26.2.Current Page: Toward the Derveni Krater.Previous Page (left keyboard arrow or swipe).These images may not be reproduced, copied, transmitted, or manipulated without consent from the owners, who reserve all rights. All other images are reproduced with the permission of the rights holders acknowledged in captions and are expressly excluded from the CC BY license covering the rest of this publication. Text by Susanne Gänsicke and Stefan Hagel © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and Stefan Hagel. Daehner, Kenneth Lapatin, Jeffrey Maish, Timothy Potts, Erik Risser, David Saunders, Ambra Spinelli, and Timothy P.

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