Cleveland Museum of Art

Geometric Pitcher: Swans

Swan Painter

Date

c. 740–730 BCE

Medium

ceramic

Culture

Greek, Attic

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

A common shape in the Late Geometric period, the pitcher often attains large dimensions, offering the painter multiple zones for decoration. Here, standing leaves encircle the shoulder, while the neck and body bear wide bands with alternating squares of swans and swastikas. Also known as a hooked cross, the swastika appears frequently as a decorative motif in Greek Geometric pottery, without any clear meaning. The swans, though somewhat abstracted to modern eyes, likely represent one of many waterfowl species native to Greece. The stylized swans lend their name to the otherwise anonymous decorator of this vase.

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