|
Vase Finds from Athens [on the western slope of the Acropolis], part 2.
13.
Handle of a bottle of reddish clay (fig.8) with a thick yellow-white coating,
hollow inside; the upper end of the cavity is formed by a mask with a
wide open (p.57) mouth which can be closed with the finger. According
to the shape of the handle and the technique, the whole vessel can
certainly be supplemented; it is inseparable from a group of bottles
belonging to the III century BC which gradually evolved into a distinct
form with peculiar decoration [8]. Heron describes a puzzle bottle that
must have been similar to the one discussed in Pneumatik
I9. Due to its construction, the jug described there is said to be able
to dispense water, wine or a mixture of both (cf. W. Schmidt,
introduction to his edition p. XXXI). It is also easier to imagine the
construction of the bottle in such a way that the mouth was either very
narrow or closed by a sieve. The liquid could then only run out if you
took your finger away from the mouth of the mask.
Fig.8: Handle of bottle, from 3rd c. BC (No. 13).
14. Round relief (fig.9), heavily chipped, a piece broken off
at the top right, diam. 7 cm. Yellowish clay, burnt red varnish. An
Eros with small wings, looking upwards, holds in his right hand a
thyrsus rod with a pine cone on his shoulder and at the same time lifts
a double-lobed robe over a quadrangular altar depicted at an angle.
Fig.9: Pottery relief of Eros with altar (No. 14)
The
left arm becomes visible behind his back; the left hand holds a small
single-handled jug. The round stems [p.58) probably from a bowl of the
flat Calener form and, judging by the varnish and the good execution of
the relief, is Greek. The same depiction is often found on lamps; from
a quite corresponding form is an unvarnished Roman
lamp, which is located under the Acropolis fragments and bears the
stamp ΕΛP/ΔΗφΟΡΟΥ on the back.
15. Sherds of Greek Terra sigillata vessels.
a.
Cup composed of three sherds, profile and cross-section reproduced
here (fig.10A). Very fine red clay, excellent red glaze. On the upper edge
several rows of small lines scratched into the still soft clay. Two
engraved rings on the bottom, in the middle a rectangular stamp with
the potter's name: Ω0ΡγΗ The name is already known in the spelling
OPHOY from a south Russian vessel of a different shape: Stephani Vase
collection of the Hermitage 2057, cf. Dragendorff Bonner Jahrbücher 96
p. 37.
b. Fragment of a large plate with poor matt red varnish. The potter's name ONHEIMOY stamped in the center in fig.10B.
c. Rim fragment. The profile is reminiscent of
that of Dragendorff a. a. 0. p. 36, fig. 13,3, depicting the profile of a
south Russian vessel.
Fig.10: A: terra sigillata cup (15a). B: potter's name on plate (15b). C: Rim ragment of terra sigillata jar (15c).
d. cup foot, a sole is pressed inside in the middle ; see Dragendorff a. a. 0. p. 37.
16. Sherds of 'Megarian' cups.
[Editor's
note: "Megarian" Pottery was a name given to Hellenistic
mold-made relief bowls in the late nineteenth century, since some of
the first known examples were from the city of Megara. Mold-made bowls
of this type, a major precursor of Late Greek and Roman terra
sigillata, originated in Athens in the third quarter of the third
century BC. Megarian vessels are sometimes inscribed with the names of
individual potters' workshops, just as in the case of the later terra
sigillata. ]
As it is of no use to enumerate and describe each
fragment individually, I prefer a systematic arrangement and describe
in turn the occurring decorations of the rim, the body and the base.
The few sherds of Megarian cups found on the Acropolis are included
here, so that one can gain an overview of the decorative elements that
have appeared in Attica up to now.
A. Decoration of the rim (p.59): figs.11 and 12..
1.
Simple volute band with small leaves in the spandrels (fig.11A); cf. the
corresponding ornamental friezes on the architecture of Pompeian murals
in Roux Herculanum et Pompei I pl. 30 and 33.
2. Egg stick with wide plastic stripe on top (fig.11B) ; see Benndorf Greek. and Sicilian Vase pictures plate LX 1, a.
3. Aeolian Kyma; see Benndorf op.cit. Plate LIX i,a.
4.
Braid (fig.11C); see Benndorf op.cit. Plate LIX 2 a; 3 a. The ornaments 2 - 4
are almost always connected with other ornamental strips.
5. Flower band.
6. Spirals from which occasionally articulated small leaves hang down. (fig.11D, left)
7. Spirals, over which a flower now and then sits.(fig.11D, right)
8. Spirals with palmettes; see Benndorf a. a. 0. Plate LIX 2 a; Rayet-Collignon Histoire de la ceramique grecque p. 338.
Fig.11: Types of rim decoration for Megarian cups.
9. Spirals associated with palmettes and rosettes of many petals; see Roux op.cit. I Plate 34. (fig.11E)
10. Spirals connected with palmettes and flowers (fig.11F)11. Spirals connected with palmettes, approached by dolphins from each side (very common) (fig.11G)
12. Spirals associated with flowers and dolphins.
13. Dolphins and leaves alternate with each other (fig.11H); cf. on 11-13 Roux op.cit. I plate 11,12. (p.60)
14. Individual spirals connected with grapes and aracea flowers (fig.12A).
15. Single spirals connected with bunches and rosettes (fig.12B)
16. Strip of dots connected with recumbent pinnate leaves, above rosette band (fig.12C).
17. Upright volutes with flowers seated on top (fig.12D).
18. large spirals, above reversed four-staff (fig.12E).
19. Flying birds and masks alternating with each other, spirals and palmettes above (fig.12F); see Roux. op cit. I, plates 101, 102.
20.
Masks lined up close together with their mouths wide open (fig.12G); cf. the
silver omphalos bowl Compte rendu 1876 plate IV 9, the gold band ibid
1882/83 plate VII 13 and the silver bowl in the museum at Bari, Notie
1896, 547
Fig.12: Types of rim decoration for Megarian cups (continued).
B. Body Decoration of 'Megarian' pottery
I. Types of ornamentation (fig.13)
1. Simple corrugation of the whole body surface; cf. Musee de Sevres plate XIII 8 (from Melos).
2. Pointed, upward prongs; see the kantharos in the National Museum inv. 2311, in the following list N° 22.
3.
More or less large and thick scales; cf. the 'Megarian’ beaker
Monuments Piot VI p. 50 Fig. 14 and the kantharos of the western slope
in the following list N° 4.
4. Scale-like articulated leaves lying one on top of the other; see the pitcher fragment in the following list N° 12.
5. Scale-like articulated leaves, with small flowers between the upper leaf ends.
6. Individual large leaves, sometimes articulated, sometimes unarticulated.
7. Single pinnate leaves to mid-body, between them rosettes, above them a frieze of birds (fig.13A).
8. Vine branches with leaves and bunches between narrow, lanceolate leaves rising from the base (fig.13B).
9. Vine branches with leaves;
between the radii of leaves, tendrils with volutes, rosettes, aracea
blossoms and small birds perched on the tendrils (fig.13C); cf. the silver cup
from Hildesheim Arch. Anzeiger 1897 p. 128 ff. Fig. 15.
Fig.13: Types of body decoration for Megarian pottery.
II. Figurative representations (p.62)
a. Combat scenes (fig.14).
1. Warrior charges left, holding shield in left hand and brandishing spear in right (fig.14A); cf. Robert, Homerische Becher (above Berlin Winckelmann program) p. 30, E.
2.
Warrior in rear view, on the head the pilos, holds the shield with the
left hand, brandishes the lance with the right; in front of him the
legs of an opponent. Compare the illustration on p. 66 for g 5—7.
3.
Bearded warrior in Exomis (fig.14B), on his head the pilos, supports the lance
with his left hand and stretches out his right hand to the left, where
his gaze is also directed.
4. To the right of a voluted column
on which a bird is perched stands a woman in a long chiton, both arms
lowered; she seems to be holding a jug in her hand. Stone mound on which a tropaion stands. Acropolis - Sherd near
Dumont - Chaplain Ceramique de la Greece propre Taf. XXXIII 3.
Fig.14: Combat and hunting scenes, in body decoration of Megarion pottery.
b. Hunting scenes (fig.14).
1.
Boar charges to the right with an arrow stuck in its back. A man with
chlamys on his shoulder runs towards him from the right.
2. Youth with flying chlamys leaps to the left on a rearing horse over a boar with an arrow stuck in its back (fig.14C).
3. A man runs to the left in front of a boar, behind which are the snout and front legs of a running dog (fig.14D).
4.
Youth with flying chlamys leaps to the left on horseback; a Nike hovers
down from the right (p.64). Sherd near Acropolis; Dumont-Chaplain
op cit. Plate XXXIII 2.
5.
Horseman with a long spear charges to the right and shines bump into an
animal; opposite him two small eros figures with spears, one below, the other
on top. Sherds at the Acropolis.
c. Depictions from Dionysian rituals (fig.15).
2.
Large crater between two standing on their hind legs bucks; under the
crater sometimes a panan mask with a shaggy beard ; see Benndorf Greek. and Sicilian Vase Pictures plate LX 1, b; LXI 2.
3.
Female and male comic masks, over which two erotic figures fly,
sometimes also a bull's head or a small bird holding a bow with its
feet; see Dumont-Chaplain op.cit. Plate XXXI.
4.
A man is reclining among grapes, beside him two large dolphins and
ithyphallic Pan with rattles in his hands; Eros figures fly above (fig.15B).
Footnotes:
8.
Cf. about these bottles the comment Dragendorffs Bonner
Jahrbücher 101 p. 144 note 2, which has announced a treatment of the whole
group.
[Continue to part 3]
[Return to table of contents]
|
|
