Greek Art Test 1

“fiddle” figures

• made of marble, possibly the earliest found

• figures are female (breasts and pubic triangle present)

• likely used obsidian, emery and other stones to carve figures out of marble chunk

• purpose of figurines is ultimately unknown

  • unlikely depicts a deity due to lack of defining characteristics

• several have been stolen or forged for profit during the beginning of tourism in Greece

• c. ~3000 BCE

Cycladic Heads

• often shield shaped heads

• likely had painted features that have worn away

• made of marble

• ~2700 BCE

Musicians

• Often depict male figures

• made of marble

• fakes have been suspected due to lack of defining features like fingers occurring in genuine Cycladic art but present in the forgeries 

• c. After 2700 BCE

Folded arm figurines

• sheild shaped head, ski sloped nose, folded arms, no hands, pointed toes prevent statues from standing

• depict females (breasts and pubic triangle) some with legs together, other legs separated

• figures are proportional between carvings

• size ranged from 5-6 inches

• often found in graves but ware of the statues suggest they were not made for burial

“Frying pans”

• made of clay 

• dishes (not pans) that typically had feet to rest on and elaborate designs on the back that were carved into the clay before it was fired

• not hard enough to be used for cooking, possibly were used as water mirrors

• Bronze Age

Pitsofa male and female figurines

• 7 in and 5.5 in tall

• male has weapons and a penis sheath, female has bell skirt and breasts

• other similar statues have been found in the shrine suggesting religious significance 

Kamares fruit stand

• White swirls and geometric shapes

• symmetrical

• Profitable design

Kamares stuck-on flowers

• 0.4 m tall

• running spirals and checkerboard pattern

• 3D flowers made of clay

Bee Pendant

• made from imported gold

• 4.6 cm

• c. 2000 BC

• filigree and granulation techniques

Faience “snake goddesses”

• c.1750-1675 BC

• found in Knossos New Palace

• 13.5 in and 11.5 in

• made of quartz covered clay

Ivory acrobat

• late Minoan

• 12 inches

• may have been bull jumper

• sculpted muscles, veins and fingers

Swallows and rocks

• fresco

• rocks are painted unnaturally with stripes

• only example of unnatural landscape until Ancient Rome

“Priestess”

• fresco

• Head hair and jewelry resemble cretian works

Flotilla

• fresco

• borders the tops of the walls in the room

• 19 ft long, 17 in tall

• naval scene

• severely fragmented wall may have depicted a sea battle

Palace at Knossos

• Earthquake around 1700 BCE

• Main excavator: Sir Arthur Evans (1851-1951)

• Unknown if the palaces were places of worship, other religious areas existed like hilltop or cave shrines

• 2-3 stories high, central courtyards 

• “Snake goddess” statues, the acrobat and the bee pendant were all found in the ruins of Knossos

• Wooden columns were designed to have the heavy side that we would think of as the base, at the top

Grandstand fresco

• depicts many seated women surrounding the tripartite shrine, columns and a decorative border on the top

• possibly a religious image

• understanding of the meaning of this painting are based on the restoration work not the original piece

Sacred Grove Fresco

• Trees surrounded by women’s faces

• the restoration shows women dancing

• meaning is unknown

Toreador Fresco

• Bulls were very significant to the Minoans 

• Bulls positioning is called “flying gallop”

• Bulls horns are being grabbed by the figure on the left, thought to be a female (white complexion was characteristically female in Minoan art), figure on the bull is likely male (brown complexion)

• theory that this could depict a constellation

Octopus Vase

• Palaikastro Palace

• Late Minoan

• 11 in high

• depicts a dark colored octopus on a light background, tentacles curl around the vase

Harvester Vase

• 4.5 in vase, made of steatite

• raised relief

• only half of the vase is original, the rest is restored

• depicts 27 Minoan figures carrying implements thought to be used in harvest

• One of the figures is singing with a rattle ( possibly to keep time)

• One figure looks different from the rest and is wearing a long robe

Bull’s head rhyton

• late minoan

• pitcher where a liquid can be poured in the head and it comes out of the nose

• horns are restored, original made of limestone, rock crysta;, red jasper and shell

• 10 ¼ in tall

• possibly broken deliberately 

Palaikastro gold & ivory statuette

• 19.5 in

• made of gold, hippo ivory, serpentine and rock crystal

•  Late Minoan 

• pieces were carved separately and attached with wooden dowels suggesting they only had small pieces to work with

• ivory has turned black as it was burned, once partly covered with gold on the feet and arms, possibly shoes and jewelry

• art style suggests mainland influence, stiff and symmetrical

Vapheio cups

• solid gold

• 4.5 in in diameter

• trees, bovines and figures are all reminiscent of Minoan art

• Repousse

• Found on the mainland but likely made on Crete 

• One cup depicts a peaceful scene of men tying bulls, the next dipicts a gruesome scene of the men being gouged

• one theory is that the peaceful cup was brought to the mainland by a cretian and was commissioned to be recreated more violently for a mainlander commissioner

Palace style amphora

• Dark on light decoration

• 2 ft 6in high

• some elements look Minoan but the bilateral symmetry suggests mainland influence

Hagia Triadha sarcophagus

• 1300 BCE

• made of limestone

• possibly depicts animal sacrifice 

• again art style looks Minoan with mainland influence

• 6 in in height

• depicts an altar, goats, pillars, double axe with bird symbolism (god?)

• edges have a patterned frame on the top and bottom

• running spirals

Bull leaping seal

• Bull leaping scene

• 1700 BCE

• Similar design to fresco bull leaper

Women swaying seal

• Shows women dressed as priestess/goddesses possibly dancing, scattered plants and a ground line

• 1400 BCE

• similar to sacred grove fresco design

Grave Circles B & A Mycenae

• Grave Circle B (1600 BCE)

  • at one point was forgotten, not used by people at the time

  • stelai were often taken and used for circle A

• Grave Circle A (1550 BCE)

  • wall was built around the gravesite and it was incorporated into the hill fort 

  • 14 stele at the site, 19 people were buried here (men, women and children), possibly a royal family, gold masks placed on two of the men

Treasury of Atreus

• It's a tomb

• Very large entrance way (called dromos)

• Triangle above doorway (called corbel vaulting) achieved by gradually placing each stone at each level a little closer to its opposing side 

• Barrier stone between triangle arch and doorway for support

• Side chamber buried into side of the hill, thought to be the actual burial space

“Palace” of Nestor at Pylos

• Elaborate palace on top of a hill

• Palace is centered amongst a couple rooms called a ‘megaron’

• Floor-plan of later Greek temples

• Possible there may be more than one megaron at Pylos

• Frescoes were painted on the walls

Lion gate Mycenae

• Two felines. Potential lesbians

• “Cyclopean masonry” = looks like it was built by a cyclops 

• Similar to entryway to Treasury of Atreus, triangle above doorway with supporting stone between doorway and triangle

• Minoan column between the cats (bigger at the top, smaller at the bottom)

Warrior vase

• 16 in high

• Mycenae c.1200 BCE

• krater

• soldiers are wearing knee socks, kilts, sheilds, spears and helmets 

• spears have small bags on them (maybe rations) 

• Depiction of human form becomes standardized from here on out (profile legs, profile head, frontal body)

Temple of Hera on Samos

• made out of mud brick, thatched roofs

• 800 BC

• Temples dedicated to Hera

• 100ft long but not very wide

Bronze horse

• gift to zeus

• bronze (lost wax process)

• c. 750-700 BC

• 7” tall

• Olympia

Mare and foal

• 750 BC

• 11 cm tall

• Olympia

• bronze (lost wax process)

Man and centaur

• 750 BC

• Olympia

• bronze (lost wax process)

• Now in Met Museum

• unlike later centaur depictions, this centaur has the entire body of a human with the back end of a horse attached

• possibly fighting a man, small blade depicted next to centaur

Plain geometric amphora

• pattern called Greek key (aka meander)

• straight lines round ‘belly’ of the pot

Dipylon amphora

• c. 750 BC, Athens

• 5’1” tall

• geometric patterns and silhouettes

• large pots like these were made as grave markers for women

• silhouettes depict a funeral

  • Female body on a bed with a checkerboard shroud

  • figures surrounding body with hands on their head (mourning gesture)

  • female figures wearing skirts

• animals on neck of the ampher 

• filling ornaments used to make scene more included in the pattern

Dipylon krater 1

• 42.5” tall

• Athens

• no bottom to the pot

  • people would pour liquid in the pot and it would flow out the bottom to the grave

• likely used to mark the grave of a man

  • male body on bed with checkerboard above

  • other figures surrounding the body along with animals (possibly goats and ducks)

  • figures surrounding body with hands on their head (mourning gesture)

  • small figures possibly depicting children

• filling ornaments used to make scene more included in the pattern

• Scene below funeral shows a chariot procession 

  • the grave possibly belonged to a warrior or chariot racer

Dipylon krater 2

• Male body on a “hearse”

  • body on a shroud on a wheeled cart

  • mourners are thought to be warriors with a sword belt

  • chariot procession

• ~4ft

• filling ornaments including geometric patterns and animals (goats and ducks)

• Athens