Art Institute of Chicago

Amphora (Storage Jar)

Close to the style of the Antimenes Painter

Date

530-520 BCE

Medium

terracotta, black-figure on white-ground

Culture

Athens

Department

Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

This large vessel was used for storing and mixing wine, and was likely used as part of the Greek symposium. Much like modern academic symposiums, in which people discuss a topic of common interest, debunking old theories and putting forth new hypotheses; the men of ancient Athens regularly got together in private homes to exchange ideas. Afterward the participants might continue the conversation, discussing their impressions in greater detail or simply socializing over a drink. As the evening progressed, participants engaged in other pleasures, including games, performances, and sex. Wine played a major role in fueling these evenings, and as such the myriad vessels used in the symposium often paid homage to drink. Here, the face or mask of a satyr, one of the followers of the wine god Dionysos, is depicted with grapevines seemingly growing from his head.

The authoritative record is held by Art Institute of Chicago. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.