Dipylon Amphora

Creator

• Dipylon Master

Files

Publisher

Saskia, Ltd., Cultural Documentation

Publication Date

1966

Time Period

circa 760-750 BCE

Abstract

Overall view of amphora

Keywords

Geometric period, Sculpture (Visual works), Black-figure vase paintings (Visual works), Amphorae (Storage vessels), Terracotta (Clay material)

Alt Text

An ancient terracotta vase with intricate geometric patterns and handles on display. The vase has a wide body and narrow neck, standing on a pedestal.

Extent

1 color photograph

Geographic Location

Greece; Athens (Greece); Dipylon Gate (Athens, Greece)

Rights

This material is licensed by USF Libraries for the research and teaching needs of USF students, staff, and faculty only. See: https://lib.usf.edu/collections-and-discovery/collection-management/user-terms/

Access Restrictions

Only thumbnail images and descriptive information are available to non-USF users. Full access to this collection is available only to authorized users on the USF network on campus or via VPN.

Media Type

Color photographs

Format

Digital Only

Note

The Dipylon Amphora is a painted terracotta slipware vase dating to the Greek Geometric period, circa 760-750 BCE. It was found intact at the Dipylon cemetery in Kerameikos, Athens. The vessel functioned as a grave marker for an aristocratic woman, part of a pit grave that contained her cremated remains and other pottery of the same style. Standing 155-160 cm tall, the amphora is twice as tall as it is wide, with a neck that is half of its body. The amphora was made on a potter's wheel in three sections that were joined to create a single vessel. The designs are added with the black-figure technique. It features geometric patterns, like triangles and diamonds, as well as stylized human and animal figures. The detail is carefully placed, with no overlapping figures, as it emphasized pattern and symmetry. The main scene depicts a prothesis, the ritual of laying out of the dead. In this case, it is an aristocratic woman on a bier, surrounded by grieving men, women, and children resining their hands up in despair. Symbolic motifs of tears and stars are seen alongside the figures. This object is currently held at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, Greece.

Identifier

A01-JGC0330

Recommended Citation

Master, Dipylon, "Dipylon Amphora" (1966). Art and Art History Collection (Saskia). 359.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/saskia/359