Drinking Vessel (Skyphos)
Dateca. 600-575 BCE
Mediumpottery and paint
DimensionsOverall: 5 1/2 x 11 1/8 x 8 3/8 in. (14 x 28.3 x 21.3 cm)
ClassificationsContainers
Credit LineMuseum purchase through funds from Colonel C. Michael Paul
Object number92.0027
DescriptionA typical product of the potters' workshops of Corinth during the first half of the 6th century, this bowl, or skyphos, features a decorative animal frieze of Near Eastern origin and inspiration. From the late 7th century BCE, Corinthian pottery rivaled Athenian in foreign markets; then the narrative scenes of gods, heroes, and everyday life invented by the potters of Athens completely dominated the overseas trade. This purely decorative and characteristic vessel features a band composed of panthers, on one side framing a sphinx and on the other a goose. Extensive splashes of purple and white in the fine incisions add rhythm to the design, as do the black daubs that fill the otherwise blank spaces and reinforce the two-dimensionality of the animal renditions. To further enliven the limited material, the designer elongated the form of each animal, splaying and flattening the shapes with varied contours and adding complex detailing to the anatomy. The composition is ornamental rather than symbolic or didactic. The painter of this vessel has recently been designated the "Miami Painter" for purposes of future connoisseurship on the subject of Corinthian pottery.
