Lightboxes
Cart
alb3678188

Terracotta krater

Terracotta krater. Culture: Greek, Attic. Dimensions: H. 42 5/8 in. (108.3 cm) diameter 28 1/2 in. (72.4 cm). Date: ca. 750-735 B.C.. Monumental grave markers were first introduced during the Geometric period. They were large vases, often decorated with funerary representations. It was only in the Archaic period that stone sculptures were used as funerary monuments. On this magnificent krater, the main scene occupies the widest portion of the vase and shows the deceased laid upon a bier surrounded by members of his household and, at either side, mourners. For optimal clarity, the dead man is shown on his side, and the checkered shroud that would normally cover the body has been raised and regularized into a long rectangle with two projections. The zone below shows a procession of chariots and foot soldiers. The figures may refer to the military exploits of the deceased. Because hourglass shields and chariots played a more limited role at this time than in the earlier Bronze Age, the scene more likely evokes the glorious ancestry and traditions to which the dead man belonged.
Share
pinterestPinterest
twitterTwitter
facebookFacebook
emailEmail

Add to another lightbox

Add to another lightbox
add to lightbox print share
Do you already have an account? Sign in
You do not have an account? Register
Buy this image
Loading...
Title:
Terracotta krater
Caption:
Terracotta krater. Culture: Greek, Attic. Dimensions: H. 42 5/8 in. (108.3 cm) diameter 28 1/2 in. (72.4 cm). Date: ca. 750-735 B.C.. Monumental grave markers were first introduced during the Geometric period. They were large vases, often decorated with funerary representations. It was only in the Archaic period that stone sculptures were used as funerary monuments. On this magnificent krater, the main scene occupies the widest portion of the vase and shows the deceased laid upon a bier surrounded by members of his household and, at either side, mourners. For optimal clarity, the dead man is shown on his side, and the checkered shroud that would normally cover the body has been raised and regularized into a long rectangle with two projections. The zone below shows a procession of chariots and foot soldiers. The figures may refer to the military exploits of the deceased. Because hourglass shields and chariots played a more limited role at this time than in the earlier Bronze Age, the scene more likely evokes the glorious ancestry and traditions to which the dead man belonged.
Technique/material:
TERRACOTTA
Period:
GEOMETRIC
Museum:
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA
Credit:
Album / Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY
Releases:
Model: No - Property: No
Rights questions?
Image size:
3276 x 4094 px | 38.4 MB
Print size:
27.7 x 34.7 cm | 10.9 x 13.6 in (300 dpi)
Keywords:
CLAY • EUROPE • GEOMETRIC • GREECE • GREEK AND ROMAN ART • KRATERS • METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, NEW YORK, USA • TERRACOTTA • VASES • VESSELS