Metropolitan Museum II

Neck amphora, fourth quarter of 8th century B.C.; Late Geometric Greek, Attic Terracotta; H. 27 in. (68.5 cm) Rogers Fund, 1910 (10.210.7) This tall wide-mouthed amphora represents the fully developed Geometric style and illustrates the profoundly significant shift of focus from abstract design to the human figure. Decorative bands, consisting of a zigzag, crosshatching, and dots, fill the area above and below the two main figural scenes. On each side of the amphora's neck is a warrior with a round shield poised between two horses; a long-legged bird stands beneath each horse. Five two-horse chariots with charioteers parade around the belly of the vessel. Each driver wears a long robe and holds four reins, signifying that two horses, not one, pull each chariot. Anatomical details of the warriors, charioteers, and horses have been reduced to simple geometric shapes. Characteristically, the heads are rendered in profile and the bodies in three-quarter view. Scattered lozenges, zigzags, and other shapes fill the background of both figural scenes. Snakes modeled in the round set off the lip, shoulder, and tall handles of the amphora. Armed warriors, chariots, and horses are the most familiar iconography of the Geometric period. Whether these images reflect a real world of military threat and conflict, or refer to the heroic deeds of ancestors, is a longstanding debate in studies of Geometric art. Snakes, traditionally associated with death, probably refer to this amphora's function as a funerary dedication. Text from: www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/grge/ho_10.210.7.htm

Terracotta stirrup jar with octopus Helladic (Mycenaean), Late Helladic IIIC, ca. 1200-1100 BC Accession # 53.11.6 The shape takes its name from the configuration of the spout and two attached handles. Such jars were commonly used to transport liquids. Mycenaean artists adopted the marine motifs from Minoan antecedents. Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.

Bronze bracelet Greek (Geometric), 7th century BC Accession # 1998.25 Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.

Bronze bird Greek, (Geometric), ca. 750-700 BC Accession # 35.11.14 With its crest and full tail, this bird is particularly magnificent. It could have stood on the base or been hung through the loop on the back. Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.

Title: Bronze mare and foal Medium; Technique: Bronze Culture: Greek Period: Geometric Date: late 8th century B.C. Dimensions: Overall: 3 7/8 x 2 1/4 x 4 3/4in. (9.8 x 5.7 x 12.1cm) Classification: Bronzes Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Frederick M. Stafford, in memory of Mr. Frederick M. Stafford, 1999 Accession Number: 1999.526 Text from: www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Art/collection_database/greek_...

Terracotta krater Greek, Attic, Geometric, late 1st quarter of the 8th century BC Attributed to the Workshop of New York MMA 34.11.12 Accession # 34.11.12 The funerary purpose of this krater is indicated by the prothesis scene - the laying out of the deceased- on the central metope on each side of the vase. Of particular interest are the images of battles on and around the two ships. The center of one ship is occupied by a figure seated under an awning as two warriors fight with swords near the stern. The central portion of the other ship is missing. The archer on the prow of this vessel, the warrior just above the prow, the proximity of foot soldiers as well as the birds perched on the sterns of both ships suggest that the vessels are beached or at least close enough to be boarded from the shore. The person of rank under the awning, the variety of combatants, and the number of foot soldiers- even if they are repeated for decorative purposes- indicate that a specific event is depicted. Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.

Terracotta krater Greek, Attic, Geometric, late 1st quarter of the 8th century BC Attributed to the Workshop of New York MMA 34.11.12 Accession # 34.11.12 The funerary purpose of this krater is indicated by the prothesis scene - the laying out of the deceased- on the central metope on each side of the vase. Of particular interest are the images of battles on and around the two ships. The center of one ship is occupied by a figure seated under an awning as two warriors fight with swords near the stern. The central portion of the other ship is missing. The archer on the prow of this vessel, the warrior just above the prow, the proximity of foot soldiers as well as the birds perched on the sterns of both ships suggest that the vessels are beached or at least close enough to be boarded from the shore. The person of rank under the awning, the variety of combatants, and the number of foot soldiers- even if they are repeated for decorative purposes- indicate that a specific event is depicted. Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.

Terracotta krater Greek, Attic, Geometric, late 1st quarter of the 8th century BC Attributed to the Workshop of New York MMA 34.11.12 Accession # 34.11.12 The funerary purpose of this krater is indicated by the prothesis scene - the laying out of the deceased- on the central metope on each side of the vase. Of particular interest are the images of battles on and around the two ships. The center of one ship is occupied by a figure seated under an awning as two warriors fight with swords near the stern. The central portion of the other ship is missing. The archer on the prow of this vessel, the warrior just above the prow, the proximity of foot soldiers as well as the birds perched on the sterns of both ships suggest that the vessels are beached or at least close enough to be boarded from the shore. The person of rank under the awning, the variety of combatants, and the number of foot soldiers- even if they are repeated for decorative purposes- indicate that a specific event is depicted. Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.

Terracotta krater Greek, Attic, Geometric, late 1st quarter of the 8th century BC Attributed to the Workshop of New York MMA 34.11.12 Accession # 34.11.12 The funerary purpose of this krater is indicated by the prothesis scene - the laying out of the deceased- on the central metope on each side of the vase. Of particular interest are the images of battles on and around the two ships. The center of one ship is occupied by a figure seated under an awning as two warriors fight with swords near the stern. The central portion of the other ship is missing. The archer on the prow of this vessel, the warrior just above the prow, the proximity of foot soldiers as well as the birds perched on the sterns of both ships suggest that the vessels are beached or at least close enough to be boarded from the shore. The person of rank under the awning, the variety of combatants, and the number of foot soldiers- even if they are repeated for decorative purposes- indicate that a specific event is depicted. Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.

Terracotta krater, ca. 750–735 B.C.; Geometric; Geometric Attributed to the Hirschfeld Workshop Greek, Attic Terracotta; H. 42 5/8 in. (108.3 cm) diameter 28 1/2 in. (72.4 cm) Rogers Fund, 1914 (14.130.14) During the Geometric period, monumental grave markers were introduced in the form of 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, which occupies the widest portion of the vase, 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; however, as 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. Text from: www.metmuseum.org/works_of_Art/viewOne.asp?dep=13&vie...

Terracotta krater, ca. 750–735 B.C.; Geometric; Geometric Attributed to the Hirschfeld Workshop Greek, Attic Terracotta; H. 42 5/8 in. (108.3 cm) diameter 28 1/2 in. (72.4 cm) Rogers Fund, 1914 (14.130.14) During the Geometric period, monumental grave markers were introduced in the form of 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, which occupies the widest portion of the vase, 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; however, as 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. Text from: www.metmuseum.org/works_of_Art/viewOne.asp?dep=13&vie...

Terracotta krater, ca. 750–735 B.C.; Geometric; Geometric Attributed to the Hirschfeld Workshop Greek, Attic Terracotta; H. 42 5/8 in. (108.3 cm) diameter 28 1/2 in. (72.4 cm) Rogers Fund, 1914 (14.130.14) During the Geometric period, monumental grave markers were introduced in the form of 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, which occupies the widest portion of the vase, 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; however, as 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. Text from: www.metmuseum.org/works_of_Art/viewOne.asp?dep=13&vie...

Terracotta krater, ca. 750–735 B.C.; Geometric; Geometric Attributed to the Hirschfeld Workshop Greek, Attic Terracotta; H. 42 5/8 in. (108.3 cm) diameter 28 1/2 in. (72.4 cm) Rogers Fund, 1914 (14.130.14) During the Geometric period, monumental grave markers were introduced in the form of 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, which occupies the widest portion of the vase, 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; however, as 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. Text from: www.metmuseum.org/works_of_Art/viewOne.asp?dep=13&vie...

Terracotta krater, ca. 750–735 B.C.; Geometric; Geometric Attributed to the Hirschfeld Workshop Greek, Attic Terracotta; H. 42 5/8 in. (108.3 cm) diameter 28 1/2 in. (72.4 cm) Rogers Fund, 1914 (14.130.14) During the Geometric period, monumental grave markers were introduced in the form of 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, which occupies the widest portion of the vase, 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; however, as 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. Text from: www.metmuseum.org/works_of_Art/viewOne.asp?dep=13&vie...

Terracotta krater, ca. 750–735 B.C.; Geometric; Geometric Attributed to the Hirschfeld Workshop Greek, Attic Terracotta; H. 42 5/8 in. (108.3 cm) diameter 28 1/2 in. (72.4 cm) Rogers Fund, 1914 (14.130.14) During the Geometric period, monumental grave markers were introduced in the form of 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, which occupies the widest portion of the vase, 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; however, as 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. Text from: www.metmuseum.org/works_of_Art/viewOne.asp?dep=13&vie...

Terracotta krater Greek, Attic, Geometric, ca. 725 BC Attributed to the Trachones Workshop Accession # 14.130.15 Like its counterpart, 14.130.14, this krater served as a funerary monument and shows the same primary subjects, the prothesis– or laying out of the deceased surrounded by mourners– and chariots in procession. In this work, however, the deceased is shown with a long braid or pigtail issuing from his head; this same detail appears on the warriors standing to the right, suggesting that it is either his braided hair or the crest of his helmet. Also noteworthy is the little, almost simian creature that seems to be attending to the warrior's head. Below the dead man sits a row of female mourners. Of the two subordinate zones, the upper one shows chariots drawn by two horses; the lower one shows a single horse per chariot. Foot soldiers are at a minimum. The bowl of the krater rests on a support that is taller and slimmer than that of 14.130.14 and is pierced at the top with square openings; their primary purpose was to prevent the piece from exploding in the kiln. Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.

Neck amphora, fourth quarter of 8th century B.C.; Late Geometric Greek, Attic Terracotta; H. 27 in. (68.5 cm) Rogers Fund, 1910 (10.210.7) This tall wide-mouthed amphora represents the fully developed Geometric style and illustrates the profoundly significant shift of focus from abstract design to the human figure. Decorative bands, consisting of a zigzag, crosshatching, and dots, fill the area above and below the two main figural scenes. On each side of the amphora's neck is a warrior with a round shield poised between two horses; a long-legged bird stands beneath each horse. Five two-horse chariots with charioteers parade around the belly of the vessel. Each driver wears a long robe and holds four reins, signifying that two horses, not one, pull each chariot. Anatomical details of the warriors, charioteers, and horses have been reduced to simple geometric shapes. Characteristically, the heads are rendered in profile and the bodies in three-quarter view. Scattered lozenges, zigzags, and other shapes fill the background of both figural scenes. Snakes modeled in the round set off the lip, shoulder, and tall handles of the amphora. Armed warriors, chariots, and horses are the most familiar iconography of the Geometric period. Whether these images reflect a real world of military threat and conflict, or refer to the heroic deeds of ancestors, is a longstanding debate in studies of Geometric art. Snakes, traditionally associated with death, probably refer to this amphora's function as a funerary dedication. Text from: www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/grge/ho_10.210.7.htm

Neck amphora, fourth quarter of 8th century B.C.; Late Geometric Greek, Attic Terracotta; H. 27 in. (68.5 cm) Rogers Fund, 1910 (10.210.7) This tall wide-mouthed amphora represents the fully developed Geometric style and illustrates the profoundly significant shift of focus from abstract design to the human figure. Decorative bands, consisting of a zigzag, crosshatching, and dots, fill the area above and below the two main figural scenes. On each side of the amphora's neck is a warrior with a round shield poised between two horses; a long-legged bird stands beneath each horse. Five two-horse chariots with charioteers parade around the belly of the vessel. Each driver wears a long robe and holds four reins, signifying that two horses, not one, pull each chariot. Anatomical details of the warriors, charioteers, and horses have been reduced to simple geometric shapes. Characteristically, the heads are rendered in profile and the bodies in three-quarter view. Scattered lozenges, zigzags, and other shapes fill the background of both figural scenes. Snakes modeled in the round set off the lip, shoulder, and tall handles of the amphora. Armed warriors, chariots, and horses are the most familiar iconography of the Geometric period. Whether these images reflect a real world of military threat and conflict, or refer to the heroic deeds of ancestors, is a longstanding debate in studies of Geometric art. Snakes, traditionally associated with death, probably refer to this amphora's function as a funerary dedication. Text from: www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/grge/ho_10.210.7.htm