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Attic Geometric Vase Scenes, Old and New

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 December 2013

John Boardman
John Boardman
Affiliation:
Merton College, Oxford
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Extract

The New York crater, 14.130.15 (PLATES I–III), was first published by Miss Richter fifty years ago. Since then it has frequently been accorded illustration and comment both for its figure scenes—notably the prothesis, the chariot friezes and the occurrence of ‘Siamese twin’ warriors—and for its place in the development of Attic Geometric vase painting. There are, however, a number of features in the figure scenes which have escaped notice hitherto in publication, and which are of some interest to the student of Geometric funeral practice and iconography.

The prothesis itself (PLATE II a) is conventional enough in most of its details. The child crouching over the legs of the dead man extends his arms over them. The child standing behind the head tears his hair with one hand while the other seems to be stretched towards the dead man's mouth. Certainly no branch or fan is held—the motif found in some other prothesis scenes. Before the child's leg is a small fish. The gesture and the fish (an odd filling device, if it is one) are not readily explained but may be borne in mind when other features of the frieze are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Hellenic Studies , Volume 86 , November 1966 , pp. 1 - 5
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies 1966

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References

1 AJA xix (1915) 394 ff., pls. 21, 22, 23.2–3; and in MetMusBull x (1915) 70 ff., fig. 1, Handbook (1917) fig. 22, (1927) fig. 28, (1953) pl. 14a. I am deeply indebted to Dietrich von Bothmer who himself took the detail photographs published here, and who afforded facilities for this study and publication; and to the Department of Art History and Archaeology at Columbia University, New York, where, as Visiting Professor in spring 1965, I had also the opportunity to study several American collections.

2 Richter, , Ancient Furniture 66 Google Scholar, fig. 171; Brueckner, , AA 1921 245 Google Scholar; Zschietzschmann, , AM liii (1928) 18 f.Google Scholar, 38 no. 12; Hinrichs, , Ann.Univ.Saraviensis-Phil. 1955 124 ff.Google Scholar, pls. 3, 11a; Marwitz, , Antike und Abendland x (1961) 10.Google Scholar

3 Mercklin, von, AJA xx (1916) 401, 404 f.Google Scholar; Hahland, , Corolla Curtius 124, n. 9Google Scholar; Young, , Hesp. Suppl. ii 59, 182Google Scholar and cf. 196 n.1, 173.

4 Hampe, , Frühe griechische Sagenbilder 49, fig. 21Google Scholar; Cook, J. M., BSA xxxv (1934–1935) 206 Google Scholar; Fraser, , AJA xliv (1940) 461 Google Scholar; Hofkes-Brukker, , Bull. van de Vereen. xv (1940) 3 Google Scholar; Webster, , BSA 1 (1955) 41 Google Scholar; Kirk, , BSA xliv (1949) 44 Google Scholar (follows Cook).

5 Matz, , Geschichte i 62 Google Scholar; Kübler, , Kerameikos v. 1 173 Google Scholar; Marwitz, , Antike Kunst iv (1961) 44 f.Google Scholar; Villard, , RA (1949. ii) 1071 Google Scholar; Kunze, , Festschrift Schweitzer 50 Google Scholar; Davison, , Attic Geometric Workshops (Yale Classical Studies xvi) 111 f., 117, fig. 139.Google Scholar

6 He might be closing it or offering food. The dead person's head is touched on Louvre A552 (CVA xi pl. 12.1) and the Dresden oenochoe ( Muller, , Nacktheit pl. 5.5 Google Scholar; Hofkes-Brukker, , Frühgr.Gruppenbildung pl. 1.1 Google Scholar). Several black-figure prothesis scenes show the woman at the head of the bier occupied with the pillow; cf. BSA 1 (1955) 57 with n. 43 and pls. 4 (misnumbered; it is New York 54.11.5), 5, 8b.

7 Cf. Hesp. Suppl. ii 70, 152. They appear in some ship scenes on Dipylon vases; e.g., CVA Louvre xi pls. 1.7 (A517), 7.9 (A536), and the Munich shipwreck, Hampe, , Gleichnisse pls. 7–11.Google Scholar

8 Brommer, , Herakles pl. 18.Google Scholar

9 On the neck of Agora P4990 ( Brann, , Athenian Agora viii, pl. 19.336 Google Scholar) three men approach the prothesis from the other side of the vase. The first carries a wreath. The second carries what has been taken to be a sacrificial knife or the sword to be buried with the body, but it has two distinct members and one thinks rather of shears and offerings of hair ( Reiner, , Die rituelle Totenklage 45 f.Google Scholar). The third carries not an incense burner or ointment pot ( Young, , Hesp. Suppl. ii 20, 56 Google Scholar; Brann, 69, 112; Webster, , BSA 1 (1955) 46 Google Scholar) but a weeping child, as Cook, J. M. saw (Gnomon 1962 823).Google Scholar

10 The basic references are: Athens, : AM xviii (1893) 141 Google Scholar; Kerameikos i 181, iv 4, v.1 24f 35, 237, vi. 1 83–7; Hesp. Suppl. ii 19, 236; Athenian Agora viii 112; cf. Hampe, , Ein frühattischer Grabfund 72 Google Scholar; Phaleron, : ADelt ii (1916) 17 Google Scholar; Eleusis, : AE 1898 89 Google Scholar, 98, 1912 37 f.; Thera, : AM xxviii (1903) 273, 276, 278 f.Google Scholar In Crete the unburnt bones of a goat were found over cremated remains: Brock, , Fortetsa 3 n. 5, 88.Google Scholar Cf. Wiesner, , Grab und Jenseits 159–61Google Scholar, and for earlier practice in Greece, ibid., 135 f., 152 f.

11 RE s.v. περίδειπνον, for Homeric and Classical practices.

12 There are many references to fish as offerings to the dead in the ancient Near East; cf. Dölger, , Ichthys ii Google Scholar passim.

13 AA 1963 661 f., figs. 19, 20. Live birds ibid., 659 f., figs. 17, 18. Johansen, sees a slaughtered calf on the Lambros oenochoe, Ajas und Hektor 21–3, pl. 7.Google Scholar

14 As on the Benaki, amphora, BSA xlii (1947) pl. 19 Google Scholar (Davison, fig. 50), an amphora in Essen, , AA 1963 215 f.Google Scholar, fig. 3 and p. 219, and Akr. 295, Graef, pl. 10.

15 FGS 45–49.

16 Gleichnisse 45, n. 17. Schefold, , Frühgriechische Sagenbilder, 21 Google Scholar, finds representations of both Aktorione and Molione. Cf. Johansen, op. cit., 29–31.

17 BSA xxxv (1934–5) 206; but not three in the same frieze.

18 P4885, Athenian Agora viii pl. 17.304 and p. 65 f. for bibliography.

19 Seen second from the right in AJA xix (1915) pl. 23.2.

20 Then especially in East Greek or Etruscan work. A very early example is on the corslet, Schefold, op. cit., pl. 26. Later come the Melian Apollo amphora, Arias-Hirmer, pl. 22, the Rhodian, relief pithos, BCH lxxiv (1950) pl. 29 Google Scholar, the Cyzikos reliefs, Lippold, , Griechische Plastik pl. 18.3 Google Scholar, and the Myus reliefs, Blümel, Arch.gr.Sk.Berlin figs. 193–208 passim.

On this feature see Åkerström, , Arch. Terrakottaplatten in Stockholm 64 Google Scholar and Op.Rom. i (1954) 200 f.; Larisa am Hermos ii 148.

21 Der Rennwagen 53, writing of Berlin 3203 (Davison, fig. 48).

22 Philadelphia MS 5464, Davison, fig. 49; Bull. Mus.Roy. 1951 38, figs. 5–7.

23 AJA xx (1916) 405.

24 Cf. Snodgrass, , Early Greek Armour 159, 161.Google Scholar

25 Cf. the triangle chair-backs on a cup in London (1950.11–9.1), Davison, fig. 83 with p. 62, n. 17.

26 In MissBenton, 's list, BSA xxxv (1934–1935) 102–8, nos. 1, 3, 15.Google Scholar

27 Arch. Schildbänder 115, Beil. 8.1.

28 On this see Hampe, , Ein frühattischer Grabfund 83 f.Google Scholar; Webster, , BSA 1 (1955) 47 Google Scholar; Hahland, , Corolla Curtius 124 f.Google Scholar; Hinrichs, 134–6, 140.

29 Cf. Benton, 74 f., 114 f.

30 On many it is clearly a prize, for boxers or races. Where horses are tethered to it it looks as though it is serving rather as a manger. Cf. Benton, loc. cit.; Hinrichs, 138.

31 I am indebted to Col. J. R. Danson for permission to study, photograph and publish the vase. Its height is 44 cm. It was shown in an Exhibition of Greek Art at the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, Feb. 12–Mar. 10, 1934: Catalogue no. 4.

32 In Festschrift Zucker 175 ff. His no. 8 (Athens 17497) can be seen in CVA Athens ii pl. 12 and Davison, fig. 129. He illustrates all others in his list.

33 Hahland nos. 1, 2, 3, 6, 7 and the vase here are by one hand: the last a narrow-necked oenochoe, not a broad-necked pitcher. Hahland nos. 4 and 8 are by another hand. His nos. 9 and 10 show neither the instruments nor other ritual objects and may be ignored here.

34 BCH lxx (1946) 101.

35 Kunze, , Kretische Bronzereliefs pl. 49 Google Scholar; Dunbabin, , The Greeks and their Eastern Neighbours 41, pl. 10.1Google Scholar; Brown, , The Etruscan Lion 9 Google Scholar; Boardman, , Cretan Collection in Oxford 151 Google Scholar, Greeks Overseas 84.

36 In the Near East such tympana were used like tambourines, singly, struck with the hand. That it might be used singly in Crete is suggested by the clay plaques showing a woman with one suspended from round her neck: Dohan, , MetMusStud iii (1931) 219 Google Scholar, fig. 27.

37 Especially Hahland no. 5.

38 The trio of pipes, lyre and tambourine-tympanon is seen on neo-Hittite and Phoenician monuments. There too we find the seated lyre-player at a ‘Totenmahl’ (resembling in particular the scene on Hahland no. 6 with two groups of seated clapper-player, vase on stool and seated lyre-player). Cf. Bossert, Altanatolien fig. 810; Op.Arch, iv (1946) pl. 2 (Cypriot); Matthiae, , Studi sui rilievi di Karatepe pls. 1, 17Google Scholar; Frankfort, , Art and Architecture pls. 165a,b, 167b.Google Scholar

39 On the Metrodoros stele from Chios in Berlin (fourth-century) they have a tympanon, cymbals, krotala, lyre, harp and pipes: Kekulé, , Beschr.der ant.Skulpturen (1891) no. 766A, figs, on pp. 289–91.Google Scholar