Terracotta hydria: kalpis (water jar)
Flute player between two dancing youths in armor
The Greeks always diluted their wine with water. It was the privilege of the symposiarch, who acted as master of ceremonies at a drinking party, to decide the proportion of wine to water in each krater (bowl for mixing wine and water) as the evening progressed. On this water jar, two armed youths perform a dance to flute music. Such dances imitating the motions of warfare were popular at festivals throughout Greece. The term kalpis refers to a hydria of this particular shape.
The Greeks always diluted their wine with water. It was the privilege of the symposiarch, who acted as master of ceremonies at a drinking party, to decide the proportion of wine to water in each krater (bowl for mixing wine and water) as the evening progressed. On this water jar, two armed youths perform a dance to flute music. Such dances imitating the motions of warfare were popular at festivals throughout Greece. The term kalpis refers to a hydria of this particular shape.
Artwork Details
- Title: Terracotta hydria: kalpis (water jar)
- Artist: Recalls the Dikaios Painter
- Period: Archaic
- Date: ca. 500 BCE
- Culture: Greek, Attic
- Medium: Terracotta; red-figure
- Dimensions: 14 15/16 in. (38 cm)
Other: 15 5/8 in. (39.7 cm)
Lip diameter: 5 3/4 in. (14.7 cm)
Body diameter: 12 3/16 in. (31 cm)
Diam. of foot: 5 9/16 in. (14.2 cm) - Classification: Vases
- Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1921
- Object Number: 21.88.2
- Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art
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