Athens 803 and The Ekphora

ATHENS 803 AND THE EKPHORA Author(s): MARY B. MOORE Source: Antike Kunst, 50. Jahrg. (2007), pp.
9-23 Published by: Vereiningung der Freunde antiker Kunst Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41321236 . Accessed: 26/03/2013 17:34
Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp
.
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.
Vereiningung der Freunde antiker Kunst is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Antike Kunst.
http://www.jstor.org
This content downloaded from 85.73.226.9 on Tue, 26 Mar 2013 17:34:31 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
MARY B. MOORE ATHENS 803 AND THE EKPHORA
In Memory of Mary Aiken Littauer Anyone who becomes interestedin Attic Geometric vase paintingprobably begins with the famous creations by painters in the Dipylon Workshop, especially the large vessels decorated by the Dipylon Master himself, which stood above graves in the Kerameikos1.Three in particular represent the gold standard for Attic Geometric pottery for each displays perfect coordination is of shape, ornamentand figuralcomposition. The first Athens 804, which has received the most attention.This belly-handledamphora depicts theprothesisof a woman surrounded by femalemourners,as well as two warriors armedwith swords who appear at the farleftof the composition on the frontof the vase (pi 1, i)2. The figures are confined to a narrow frieze between the handles on each side, as well as beneath them and the effectis uneven a bit austere.The second vase, restrained, derstated, also well-published, is the painters pedestaled kraterin the Louvre, A 517, which also depicts theprothesis,but this time of a man accompanied not only by mourners, but also by warriors on foot and in chariots (pi i, 2J3. Figures decorate more of the kraters surface and the effectis not nearly as restrictive as it is on Athens 804. Only recentlyhas the third vase, Athens 803, a bellyhandled amphora, received its much deserved attention (pi 1, 3 )4. The figuraldecoration is not as well preserved as it is on the other two, but it ranksjust as high, not only in quality, but also in iconography because imit depicts the ekphora, a very rare scene in funerary In Kourou a detailed deNota 2002, published agery. excellent of this amphora, accompanied by scription black and white photographs as well as a drawing of the state of preservationand a reconstructiondrawing of the missing sections of the ekphora on the obverse
Antike Kunst 50,2007, pls.1-2 pp.9-23, = G. Ahlberg, in Prothesis and Ekphora in MediGreek Geometric Art.Studies XXXII(1971) terranean Archaeology - E. Pernice, - Pernice, = A. Brueckner Ein attischer Brueckner AM 18,1893, Friedhof Friedhof, 73-191 = J.N. Coldstream, PotGreek Geometric GGP Coldstream, A and of Ten Local Styles tery. Survey their (1968) Chronology The DipylonKrater Coldstream, Dipylon = J. N. Coldstream, andIconoKrater Context, 46.41: Style Sydney Mediterranean 10, 9/ Archaeology graphy, 1996/97, 1-11 The GreekWayof Death Greek Garland, Way = R. Garland, (1988) derTrauer Die Ikonographie Huber, Ikonographie = M. Huber, in der griechischen Kunst. Peleus.StuderTrauer dien zur Archaologie und Geschichte 10(2001) undZyperns Griechenlands CVAAthens Kourou, 5 = N. Kourou,CVA Greece 8. Athens, andAtticizing National Museum 5,Attic of the Protogeometric and Amphoras Geometric Periods (2002) - J.Boardman, - Boardman, Burial Kurtz GBC= D. C. Kurtz Greek of Greek andRoman Customs. Aspects Life (1971) - J.H. Crouwel, - Crouwel, = M. A. Littauer Selected Littauer and OtherEarly Selected on Chariots Writings Writings andHarness Vehicles, (2002) Riding I. Civilisation = C. Zervos, La Civilisation Zervos, hellenique XF-VIIIC 5.(1969) Prothesis Ahlberg, andEkphora 1The most oftheDipylon Master is still the discussion thoughtful GGP 33ff., for the of one by Coldstream, esp.37ff. painter's style Athens 803 and the Ekphora
Geometric andhowtorecognize N. Coldstream, it;briefly, J. drawing Krater iff. Mostrecently, Greece off.; Coldstream, (1977)11 Dipylon in DarkAge and Society thegeneral remarks byJ.Whitley, Style b.c. Greece. The Changing Faceofa Pre-Literate 1100-700 Society ed.2003)139ff. Their markers wasconfirmed useas grave (paperback in 1891 when excavation oftheDipylon produced fragments graves in situthat of a large krater still was later restored to a pedestaled - Pernice, 806.SeeBrueckner Friedhof of1.10m,Athens 92ff. height andfig. ofthevase,see M. Collignon 4, also 106.Fortheheight L. Couve, des vases du Musee National d'Athenes Catalogue peints in theLouvre: A. Kauffmann(1902)50no. 215.Joining fragments La scene deprothesis sur lecratere 806duMusee Samaras, "disparue" f f . National ADelt28,1973 d'Athenes, (1975)235 2 Coldstream, GGP 29f. no. 1; Ahlberg, Prothesis andEkphora 25 Civilisation derTrauer 2; Zervos, 60; Huber, fig. Ikonographie fig. 64ff. 3 Coldstream, GGP 30 no. 4; Ahlberg, Prothesis and Ekphora 25 derTrauer 66. For particularly fig.4; Huber, Ikonographie good see Zervos, Civilisation thiskrater j6ff. photographs, figs. Today, lacks itspedestal. 4SeeKourou, CVAAthens andfig. XI on 86.Add 5,85ff. pls.i02ff. tothe on 85:Huber, derTrauer 66. bibliography Ikonographie
Kouros ofsideA ofAthens 803byThanassis Fig.i Drawing
Kouros ofsideA ofAthens 803byThanassis drawing Fig.2 Reconstruction (fiss 7-2) 5- thisarticle,I propose a somewhat different but firsta few words about the ekpbora reconstruction, and a descriptionof the one on thisvase. , because there Very littleis known about the ekphora and literary evidence6. is a dearthof both representations is worth information we have the Still, summarizing.Before sunrise on the third day of the funeralceremony, mourners placed the bier on a horse- or mule-drawn hearse and quietly transported the deceased through the streetsof Athens to the Kerameikos or other burial ground. Men led the procession, including one who 5Seenote metopublish the Dr.Kourou for tothank 4.1wish allowing XI. inher CVAAthens Kouros twodrawings byThanassis 5,86fig. 6SeeE. Rhode, inImmortality TheCultofSoulsandBelief Psyche. from the translation the Greeks (1966, byW.B. Hillis English among M. Andronikos, Totenkult. 1925edition) 165;briefly, Archaeologia - Boardman, f . fora GBC 144f III W (1968)5of.; Kurtz Homerica sub"Third theliterary references and360for brief discussion dayat 10 walked at the head of the team to control the horses because there was no driver standing on the floor of the hearse. Women followed behind the main group. The ekphora does not seem to have been an extravagant public event,but rathera sedate and solemn one. Only three certain examples of this ceremony are preserved on Attic Geometric vases: Athens 803, the subject of this article,Athens 990, a pedestaled kraterwhich is the name vase of the HirschfeldWorkshop (pl. 2, 1), and also fromthisworkshop Bonn inv. 16, a kraterfragment 4)7. (figGreek andatthehome"; thegrave Garland, J.H. Oakley, Way3iff.; of theWhite The Evidence Athens. Deathin Classical Lekythoi and is Ahlberg, Prothesis detailed discussion (2004)123.The most ofall toanimportant 22off. whorestricts her analysis study Ekphora ornaments. visual elements the including filling preserved 7Athens Civilisation no. GGP 1; Zervos, figs. 990:Coldstream, 41 220 and Prothesis 54;Huber, Ikonographie fig. 53ff.; Ekphora Ahlberg, M.B.Moore
ofsideA ofAthens author 803bythe Fig.3 Reconstruction drawing The ekphora on Athens 803 is the earliestof the three and, though incomplete today, it deserved more attention than it received until Kourou's publication (pi 1, j ). The subject continues around the vase with mourners beneath each handle, a friezeof themon the reverse,and a band of thembelow the main zone. In this article,I am concerned only with the scene on the obverse. At the left, two mournersstand on the ground to right head and raised arms of the rightone are missingto(the and have been day painted in). The painterdrew the figures in the composite view typical for Geometric: head and legs in profile,torso frontal in the shape of an inverted triangle.An identifying featureof the Dipylon Workshop is that the raised arms of the mourners continue the sides of the triangulartorso before bending back to touch the head, and on Athens 803 both hands touch the der Trauer inv. 16:Coldstream, Bonn GGP 4if.no.3 d; Ahlberg, 6/ff. Prothesis 220fig.55 a. b. There In andEkphora maybe a fourth. the of1962, anundisturbed Kerameikos excavations Geometric grave wasdiscovered which other ofa large finds, yielded, among fragments krater that marked thegrave. toVierneisel, the pedestaled According is theekphora. See K. Vierneisel, ADelt18B, 1963, and 29f. subject and Prothesis 462.467and466fig. 55;Ahlberg, pl.29a; id.,AA 1964, arethe oftwohorses, a warrior 64 a. Preserved Ekphora fig. forelegs shoulder andarmmissing) before as on them, (head, right standing Athens warriors. See Ahlberg 990 (pi 2, 1), alongwithtwomore 221whonotes thesimilarity toAthens (n. 3) that 990,butconcludes shedoesnotdiscuss thefragment with herexamples oftheekphora "since ofthe orthe with bier the chariot construction nothing corpse I think is preserved". this wellbe anekphora. Theleft arm may very ofthewarrior in front ofthehorses at hisside, but standing hangs inthespaceathisright sideat thebreak, between historso andthe ofMs, there column is a sharply bitofglazethat lookslike angled a bent elbow(compare were driven being by pi 2, /). If thehorses in arm someone the the of this warrior would chariot, standing right ofhistwocompanions. athissidelike those hang Athens 803 and the Ekphora head to indicatetheyare women8.Next comes the hearse and the bier with the deceased lyingon it. Three figures (heads and most arms missing) stand on the floor of the hearse at the foot of the bier. Two are the same height; the thirdis diminutiveand reaches out with one hand to touch the leg of the bier. Three mourners kneel on the floor of the hearse (of the first, only part of her skirtand raised arms remain - the photograph shows the mod8 See Coldstream, Krater women ... 7: "All themourning Dipylon conform tothe Masters for whom the lamentation Dipylon archetype involves hair with arms the both sothat the bent hands, acutely tearing a triangle form with the thorax/' Thisis insharp contrast to together in theHirschfeld mourners There, depicted bypainters Workshop. thearms of themourners form a rectangle abovetheir shoulders andtheeffect is notas elegant or as tense. Seethemourners on the name vase(pl.2, 1 andnote Museum 7) andNewYork, Metropolitan 14 (Coldstream, ofArt14.130. GGP 42 no. 13;M. B. Moore, CVA ofArt5 [USA 37]pl. 11).Normally, Museum female Metropolitan mourners have hands both raised to their heads andmales one. only Seethe warriors atthe far ofth left eprothesis scene onAthens 804(pl. inthe file ofboth male andfemale mourners frieze below /,1) orthe thehandle zoneonAthens anunattributed LG I a/b 806, pedestaled krater Prothesis andEkphora 20b;Kauffmann-Samaras (Ahlberg, fig. andimportant discussion of [note 1]pl. 127a). Fora detailed op.cit. onGeometric seeAhlberg, Prothesis andEkphora vases, 32ff. gender forthefuneral and 72ff. formourners; more 4off. garment briefly as it applies to theDipylon GGP Coldstream, 39 who Workshop, remarks that these conventions for mourners "were observed only by theDipylon Master andhisclosest associates nos.1-20]). (1-20[cat. Elsewhere there is no uniformity; andin thenext new generation, conventions as soonas the were charioteers took towearing required identification ofthemourners with (62,n. 4)." Ahlbergs longrobes thetwo-handed on Athens 812 as maleis notconvincing gesture "we arethusentitled (77 andfig.18),yetsheconcluded (78) that to regard thetwo-hand as a characteristic mourning gesture female Sherepeats this on225inconnection with her discussion of gesture." in the This seems to me to be the correct comparable figures ekphora. interpretation. ii
ofanAttic Geometric krater attributed Fig.4 Fragment pedestaled tothe Hirschfeld Painter ern inpainting[pl. i, 3] ; see fig. i for the actual state of these and the other mourners).The thirdfigurehas one hand to her head, but extends the other upward. Skirts as well as position of arms confirmthemas women. The deceased is preservedfromjust above the waist down to her feet(the restof her is lost but forher hands - see fig. 3). Her legs and feetare in profileand a skirtcovers her legs9.The legs of the bier are missing,but forthe startof the one at its foot (presumably they were similarto the legs of the bier on Athens 804: pl. 1, /); the mattressis decorated with four-limbedsigmas10. A checkered bier cloth above the corpse hugs her contour,which is typical for this elementin the Dipylon Workshop11. The hearse is a simple flatbedvehicle: part of its floor and most of the four wheels remain; a checkerboard pattern deco9On two kraters ofthis the male isshrouded. time, pedestaled corpse One occurs on Louvre A 547, a large LG I b fragment to assigned Villard's a slightly later ofpainters within the Group, group Dipylon GGP 31 no. 21; Ahlberg, Prothesis and (Coldstream, Workshop see Coldstream, GGP 33 with Ekphora fig.13). For thegroup, Theother is contemporary with theDipylon bibliography. example I but not attributed to one of its Athens (LG a), Workshop painters: 812(Coldstream, GGP 34 n. 1; 38; 39 n. 4; Ahlberg, Prothesis and 18). Ekphora fig. 10 What remains ofthe bier isthe same as Athens 804, Ahlberg's Type a (Ahlberg, Prothesis andEkphora 5if.). 11 the bier cloth onAthens A 517(pl./, 804andon Louvre Compare '-2). 12
rates the side of the floor.Then comes a significant gap once occupied by the restof the deceased, more mourners kneelingand standingon the floor of the hearse (fig. 3), and the two horses thatcomprised the team. All that remains of the last are the ends of theirtails, four hind hoofs, two wedge-shaped heads and parts of theirnicely arched necks with short,spiky,uprightmanes. The area above the backs of the horses probably contained rows of ornament; below their bellies (or alongside them) therewas likely a mourner.The head of the man leading the horses appears in frontof them,facingright.Below or alongside the bier,a row of eight geese accompanies the entourage. Columns of Ms, crosshatched triangles and lozenges, chevrons, a dotted lozenge chain, a zigzag, and stars comprise the fillingornament separating the figures.Swastikas serve as fillbetween the spokes of the wheels. The drawing of the actual state of the ekphora presented by Kourou in CVA Athens 5 on p. 86, fig. XI above (fig. 1) is quite informative with regard to what parts of the composition are restoredin the photograph on pl. 105 (pl. 1, 3). In the reconstruction offeredin this article, I shall proceed from left to rightstartingwith the two mourners standing behind the hearse (fig.3)12. Kourou identifiedthem as male, presumably because but the preservedparts of the they do not wear skirts13, 12 I should howI made thereconstruction Perhaps explain drawing. In suchan endeavor, oneusually thecomposition begins bytracing from thevaseitself coated acetate anda pencil, butit directly using would beimprudent totry this method onAthens itslarge 803, given sizeandfragile state ofpreservation. A more means wasto practical a on a in order to havea working enlarge goodphotograph copier surface ofsuitable size.Plate35 in B. Schweitzer, Geometric Greek Art andCornelia 1971)provided a good Usborne, (translated byPeter model because itwasprinted the full sizeofthe andshowed the plate frieze from handle to handle. As we shall ornament see,theframing is animportant inthis reconstruction. Thenext was component step totrace the aswill beexplained fill inthe then, below, figures, missing Inthe final I avoided inked the ofthe curved parts. drawing, problem surface thegroundline, and side frames. by straightening skyline For thebierclothand patterns, I madesamples, thenmultiplied them on a copier, notonly tosavetime, buttoassure a semblance of uniformity. 13 CVAAthens Kourou, 5,87. M.B.Moore
arms of each indicate they were raised in the mourning gesture typical for women by painters of the Dipylon Workshop, as Coldstream and others have made clear14. the two mournerswho By analogy,I would also identify stand on the floor of the hearse at the foot of the bier as female.In frontof them is a small figurepreservedfrom about shoulders to feet whose lefthand reaches out to Kourou identifiedthis figure touch the leg of the bier15. and thismay be as a child because of its diminutivesize16, so, but the narrowspace may controlsize, as Coldstream recognized: "the smaller scale need not necessarilysignifychildhood; witness the minuscule, but fully-armed warrior of [Louvre] A 547"17.In any case, I opt for this On Athens 804, a similarfigfigurealso being female18. ure stands at the head of the bier, also touching the leg with one hand (pl. 1, i)19. She appears to wear a skirt, but theremay not have been quite enough space for the painterto indicate two legs and both feet.She provided the model forcompletingthe missingparts of this figure on Athens 803. All scholars agree that the deceased on Athens 803 is a woman, not only because she wears a skirt,but also because the belly-handled amphora is associated with the preservedhands of Furthermore, gravesof women20. the deceased on Athens 803 have fingers(pi i, 3), as do those of her counterparton Athens 804 (pi iy 1), who 14 Seenote 8 above. 15 as we knowit from theprothesis For thisgesture, , see Ahlberg, and Ekphora n6ff.where she suggests Prothesis (126) that"the initsbasicform the which hasa deictic means gesture, significance, i.e. to the She also thinks the of, farewell, corpse". greeting saying floor hearse touched mourner with raised hand onthe ofthe kneeling itssideandthis seems tobecorrect. 16 CVAAthens Kourou, 5,87. 17Coldstream, 6. For LouvreA 547,see note9 DipylonKrater above. 18 Prothesis andEkphora 226alsointerprets allfive figures Ahlberg, inthis area as women. 19 inZervos, Best observed Civilisation 63. fig. 20Coldstream, GGP 39 withbibliography; Kurtzand Boardman, GBC 56ff. and 350 forbibliography: sub "Markers"; Coldstream, 222 Prothesis andEkphora Geometric Greece (1977)no. Ahlberg, of martial on Athens notestheabsence 803,another iconography for the as a woman. reason identifying corpse Athens 803and the Ekphora
also has shorthair.These featuresare absent on the male corpse depicted on Louvre A 517 (pi i} 2). The corpse on Athens 804 (pi 1,1) served as my model for supplying the missing torso and the head with hair of the deceased on Athens 803 (pi 1, 3 and fig.3). I lengthenedher slightlyand made the bier longer than it is in Kourous so it will be more centeredon the hearse, reconstruction, and to include two more mournerskneelingnext to the bier on the floor of the hearse to make the composition more symmetrical (see below). The bier cloth in my reconstructionis based on those drawn above the corpses on Athens 804 and Louvre A 517 (pi 1, 1-2); the wings of the bier cloth are a littleshorterthan they are in the drawing by Thanassis Kouros (fig.2), but it would be I most unusual if the Dipylon Master omitted them21. have also used the tucked-underpart of the bier cloth as a pillow as it is on Athens 804 and Louvre A 517. So far, my reconstructiondeviates only slightlyfrom the one offeredby Kourou. Now we come to the most importantsection of the the restof the hearse,the horses,and the reconstruction, in man frontof them. I shall discuss the missing parts in the following order: 1) the frontof the hearse; 2) the women kneeling on its floor; 3) mourners at the front of the hearse above the wheels; 4) the horses; and 5) the man leading the team. The Front of the Hearse Kourou believed that the floor or platform of the hearse should be attached to a chariot bearing a driver and a Dipylon warrior (fig.2)22.The vehicle,passengers 21 Prothesis andEkphora that thebiercloth 224 believes Ahlberg, A was and without ofthis on Athens 803 rectangular wings. review inthe feature work Master otherwise ofthe funerary Dipylon suggests Prothesis andEkphora also 2-4.7-8and10, (Ahlberg, figs. probably arebythe Master orcloseassociates: Coldstream, 9). These Dipylon GGP 29ff. nos.1-4and15-19. 22 Theresult reminds meoftheold type ofhorse trailer which was hitched tothe toa contraption attached back ofanautomobile, bumper a somewhat that themodern horse unwieldy conveyance preceded vanwhich is modelled on a large truck. Thisbetter cannot option holdmany horses onitslength, butalsoitis a much only depending safer means oftransportation.
13
and team in her drawing appear to be modelled on their counterpartsto the rightof the prothesison Louvre A 517 (pi 1, 2), except that the chariot pole issues from the breastwork and rail of the vehicle in the drawing (fig.2), not fromits floor as it does in the painting(pi /, 2). In any case, it is highlyunlikelythata vehicle as light in weight as a chariot could have drawn a hearse bearing a corpse lying on a bier accompanied by mourners standing and kneeling on the floor. To support as well as to balance such a heavy burden requires solid constructionand four wheels. Thus, this reconstructionis unlikely,but firsta few words about Greek chariots in generaland those on vases by thepaintersof theDipylon Workshop in particular. The Greek chariot was an unsteady two-wheeled vehicle designed to convey driver and passenger to their destination. In Greek vase painting,particularlyin the sixthcentury, chariotsoftenappear in processions, such as the Wedding of Peleus and Thetis by Sophilos on his dinos in London and by Kleitias on his famous volutekraterin Florence, or people on foot may accompany a single chariot. In mythological scenes, the horses often gallop23.Another popular scene depicts a warrior then being driven to battle,who will dismount to fight, remount the vehicle to returnto the safetyof camp or home; warriorsdid not fightfromchariots in Greece24.
The harnessingwas fairlysimple. The wooden chariot pole curved upward from the floor of the vehicle and was lashed to a yoke which rested on the backs of two horses just behind the withers(the bone projectingfrom the base of the neck). A protectivecushion betweenyoke and horse preventedchafingin this sensitivearea; a girth and collar held the yoke in place. For control,each horse wore a headstall equipped with a bit and two reins. In a four-horseteam,the two pole horses supplied the major pulling power; the accompanying horse on either side, called an outriggeror a trace horse, was attached to the chariot by a trace line probably threadedthrougha ring on the girthof the pole horse, then continuingback to the axle. The functionof these two horses is uncertain, but they may have been helpful in settingthe pace or negotiatingturns.When a chariotwas in use, it was particularlyimportantto maintainan even balance between it and the horses so the yoke would not press heavilyon theirbacks causing pain. This is why the charioteerand passengerdo not stand forwardof the axle, but occasionbehind it; in thispoally above it and more oftenslightly for the sition,theycompensate weightof thechariotpole From about 700 B.C., and yoke in frontof the vehicle25. all of the chariotsknown to me thatare drawn in profile show just one wheel with the second wheel understood, a good early example being Metropolitan Museum of
23 Museum1971.11-1.1 London,British (Paralipomena Sophilos: Florence 16 Addenda2 Kleitias: bis; iof.). 4209 (ABV 76, 1; 19, etal., Materiali 21;M. Cristofani 29,1; Addenda2 per Paralipomena 1 Bollettino d'arte serie servire aliastoria delVasoFrancois. speciale on For a chariot [1981]). Metropolitan byfigures foot, accompanied stand for ofArt17.230.14 Museum (ABV may very many byExekias atspeed, see 39).Fora chariot 144, 59,3; Addenda2 3; Paralipomena Attic columnon an unattributed theGigantomachy black-figured no. 134[F. 218s.v.Gigantes Geneva krater, (LIMC IV [1988] 15053 - M. B. Moorel). Vian 24 - J.H. Crouwel, in LateBronze Chariots SeeM. A. Littauer Age from Greecein: Selected 57, 53ff. [reprinted Antiquity Writings that is "noconvincing evidence whoconclude that there i87ff.] 1983, inbattle, inlate ever anactive role bronze chariots played ageGreece in did and the Near as with warriors them, they Egypt from fighting were is no evidence that chariots there East.... On theother hand,
and armed with for warriors notusedas military spears conveyances in combat" who on foot hand-to-hand swords and/or daggers, fought seems tohave Thisuseofthechariot (61 = Antiquity 57,1983, 191). Greek world as well. historical ofthe extended into the period 25See note24 above."The Greeks which ... useda dorsalyoke, the axleandmove tobalance onorbehind the allowed them tostand balance' Thiswouldallowslight vehicle. (i.e. lift up the 'negative backs" theweight on thehorses' andreduce (GailBrownrigg front) reconstruction in an e-mail datedApril18,2006).For a modern see J. Spruytte, of a Greek chariot, Early HarnessSystems. oftheHorse A Contribution to theHistory Studies. Experimental the French M. A. Littauer from translated edition) 1977 (1983, by chariot hasbeen on 62. Sinceno ancient andthephotograph 52ff. reconstruction inanexcavation onmainland found Greece, Spruytte's on number of is basedon thevery especially representations, large vases. Attic black-figured M.B.Moore
14
Art 21.88.18 by the Passas Painter,one of the first artists to work in the innovativeand energeticProtoatticstyle in Late Geometric I a-b (pi 2, 2)26.It is usually different when Athens (about 760-735 B.C.) 803 and comparable vases were made. In the Dipylon Workshop, as well as in the slightly later Hirschfeld Workshop, nearly all of the well-preserved chariots show two wheels, one behind the other, usually with the charioteer standing above one wheel and his armed passenger above the other (pl. iy 2J27 or, as on Athens 990, the lone warriordrivesthe chariotand standsin thevehiclemid-waybetweenthetwo wheels (pi 2, 1). Long ago, E. von Mercklin recognized that when a chariot depicts two wheels, it cannot be assumed it is a four-wheeledvehicle28; on the other hand, one wheel stands for two in many scenes (pi 2, 4). As von Mercklin put it: "Andererseits gibt das Ekphorabild einer Dipylonvase in Athen [NM 803] den Leichenkarrenmit alien vier Radern, gerade wie unsere Vasen den Renn-
26 SeeM. B. Moore, A Protoattic ThePassas Painter: The "Realist"?, 15ff. Museum Journal 38,2003, Metropolitan 27 both from the Thekrater found on Exceptions, Dipylon Workshop. Piraeus Street chariots with two wheels but also one chariot depicts - this with wheel ofspace justa single maybe dueto constriction GGP no. Prothesis andEkphora 8 (Coldstream, 31 19;Ahlberg, fig. a: the in chariot with two wheels the frieze below the appears prothesis oftheplaster theposition ofthedriver andthe fill; justto theleft makes clear that this chariot hadtwo wheels). 46.41: passenger Sydney the chariot with the wheel is alsotothe left ofthe single prothesis (pi with twowheels onthe GGP 31no.22; 2,4),that (Coldstream, right Prothesis andEkphora Krater, 14;Coldstream, Ahlberg, fig. Dipylon on 6 where he asksif"it couldbe that thetwoesp.hisremarks wheeled vehicle on theright should be read notas a chariot, butas a four-wheeled hearse seen from thesideview: thehearse on towhich will inpreparation the bier with the belifted, for the next corpse stage oftheceremony, theekphora orprocession tothe Thisis an grave"). butthe ofa warrior armed with twospears idea, intriguing presence behind the driver aswell asthe start ofthe breastwork andan standing entire rail this For the difference between argue against interpretation. a chariot anda hearse, seebelow. itwould seem oddtohave two Also, distinct ofthefuneral on thesame parts ceremony appear together vase. 28 E. vonMercklin, in Griechenland Die Rennwagen M. (190 9) 59f.; - Crouwel, A. Littauer in:Littauer Selected ofP. 63,review Writings Athens 803and the Ekphora
wagen mit zweien, wieder"29.The number of wheels depicted in these scenes is not a requisite for determining if the vehicle is a hearse or a chariot. If it were, the hearses on Athens 990 and Bonn inv. 16, which depict only two wheels, would be designated chariots, and only the one on Athens 803, which has four wheels, would be called a hearse. The main difference between a chariot and a hearse lies in the constructionof the body. Chariots often moved at speed; thus breastwork in frontand a rail at each side were necessaryfor the safety of the occupants (pi 2> 1). A hearse proceeded in a slow, dignifiedmanner,owing to the solemnity of the occasion and the weight it bore, so it did not require these features.It merelyneeded a flatbedsupported by four wheels and this is how it is representedon Athens 803 (pi iyj) and, by extension,on Athens 990 and Bonn inv. 16 (pi 2, 1 and fig. 4). These two hearses are quite short and bulky compared with the sleek one on Athens 803 (pi 1, 3) and they do not have room for mourners standing or kneeling on the floor. Still, they are all we have at present,and each shows the deceased lying on a bier supported by a vehicle. On Athens 990, instead of a driver,a man armed with a sheathed sword holds the two-horse team by a slack lead line and threesimilarmen accompany him on foot (pi 2, 1). much like theseappeared in thescene Presumably, figures on Bonn inv. 16 (fig.4). There, the entirehearse remains and no one drives, so there must have been someone at the head of the team holding the horses (all that remains are the two tails and a hind hoof). These details are helpfulfor the reconstruction offeredbelow. A deviation from the major appearance of this ensemble on Athens 803 is that on the two HirschfeldWorkshop examples, the bier does not stand directlyon the floor of the hearse, but on a horizontal support resting on verticalprojections at the frontand back of the vehicle
A. L. Greenhalgh, Greek Warfare: Horsemen andChariots in Early theHomeric andArchaic from Classical Ages[reprinted Philology f f 72,1970, .] (63= Classical 363 72,1970, 363). Philology 29 vonMercklin (note 28) 59. op.cit. i5
(pl. 2yi and fig.4)30.On Athens 803, thereare no vertical projections,but simplya long narrow floorwhich I have extended in the drawing so it is supported by the two frontwheels (fig.3 ). The WomenKneeling on the Floor of the Hearse Next to the Bier The first two women have theircounterpartson Athens 804 (pl. 1, 1); on Athens 803, one is completelypreserved and very likely the incomplete one to the viewer's leftwas as she appears in the photograph and in the drawings by Thanassis Kouros (pl. 1, 3 and figs. 1-2). The thirdwoman raises her lefthand in a gesture,similar to thatof one of the mournersseated on a campstool on Athens 804, only rightand leftreversed(pi /, 1). If my suggestionto lengthenthe bier toward the horses is correct,thiswould allow room fortwo more women kneeling on the floor of the hearse to complementthe two on the left31. The question is whethertheyshould face to left or to right.On a moving vehicle drawn by horses, it is 30One herethefamous terracotta hearse found at maymention in thefirst Variin 1936(Athens, NM 26747) anddated half ofthe seventh GreekWay 33 fig.9 and 143 n. (see Garland, century with derTrauer Huber, 90 fig.6; 32 bibliography; Ikonographie V [2005] Thesaurus cultus etritum 291no.915pl. 53s.v. antiquorum Kultinstrumente Themost detailed [S.Th.Schipporeit]). description is by R. Hampe,Ein friihattischer Grabfund (i960) 73f.and fig. illustration is Andronikos (note6) pl. 4 a. 46. The clearest op.cit. Placed on Thehearse is a flatbed wheels. supported byfour spoked lidanda figure ofthe it is theshrouded coffin (ithasa removable mourners deceased on theinside) accompanied by four (probably each back onthe oneatthe onealongside back, floor, female) standing to be thedriver, but andoneinfront. takes thelatter wheel, Hampe those of remains ofthearms indicate a mourner: are raised like they ofa mourners Greek the other (seeGarland, 9); thearms Way33fig. mourner kneels at driver would beextended /,2; 2, /.2). A fifth (pls. In addition, anda bird thefront ofthehearse's floor. there is a child ofthepreserved ensemble on theshroud. Theproportions perched 16(pi aresimilar totheir on Athens 990andBonninv. counterparts nor the horses arenotpreserved 2, 1 and latter, 4). Likethe today, fig. of how were hitched to the vehicle. isthere indication any they 31 andEkphora is sufficient for Prothesis 229:"There space Ahlberg, - Pernice, Friedhof 102 another orpossibly two."Brueckner figure, on stools, as on Athens there weretwofigures seated 804 thought 16
naturalforstandingfigures to face the directionin which the team moves because this allows greaterflexibility to maintainone's balance and see where one is going. Sitting figures,however, are more stable and may face in eitherdirection. One way to try to settle this question is to reconstructthe section in two different ways, one with the figures to the other with them facing left, facing to right.This is easily done by using cut-outs and the resultsare quite interesting. When all fivefiguresface to the balance and of thispart of the comright, symmetry are position completelydisrupted;when the two on the face to left,the composition is aestheticallymore right pleasing and I have chosen this option (fig.3 ). Furthermore, the bier with the corpse and the mournerson the floorof the hearse make an ensemble of theirown within the entirescene,just as theydo on Athens 804 where two pairs face one another,one pair kneelingon the ground, the other seated on stools (pi 1, 1). The legs of the bier frame these mourners and link them inextricablywith the composition of the deceased above. A similarresult occurs between the kneeling mourners on Athens 803 and the deceased on the bier. The Mournersat the Frontof the Flearse thefloorof thehearseso itrestsabove the Lengthening two frontwheels creates a space to the viewer's rightof the bier in which I propose to restorestandingmourners to assure an even distributionof weight and to balance the composition visually.The questions raised are: how many figureswill fill the space nicely and should they face forward or toward the bier? Ahlberg speculated that therewere two more kneeling mourners alongside the bier and she recognized that two horses comprised the team, but she was silentabout the appearance of the kneeling mournersand how the space between the bier and the tails of the horses was configured32. Justas cutstools on better because fit this context ). Twokneeling figures (pl.i, 1 unstable andeven a slowone, would berather a moving even vehicle, unsafe for the sitters. 32 - Pernice, andEkphora Prothesis 229and223.Brueckner Ahlberg, in front of the there were Friedhof bier, 103 standing figures suggested howmany. butdidnotspeculate M.B.Moore
outs were helpful in determiningthat there were two more kneeling mourners alongside the bier, so too are theyuseful here forstandingfigures. On Athens 804 (pl. 1,1) and on Louvre A 517 (pl. i, 2), there is a narrow space between the forearmsof the mourners and the horizontal framinglines33.On Athens 803, this holds true for the mournerstandingon the ground at the left of the hearse and surely for the one in frontof her,as well as those on the floor of the vehicle, so thereis good reason to believe therewas a similar space in the area under discussion. I used as a guide the size and appearance of the mournerswho stand on the floor of the hearse behind the bier,even though part of them is reconstructed.This allows three figuresin the space to the rightof the bier along with the requisitecolumn of M's that appear between all the figureson this vase (fig.j)34. Next comes the question of direction. In a wheeled vehicle drawn by horses, I have never seen a who did not facein thedirectionof movestandingfigure ment.This is simply common sense and one has only to reversethe cut-outs to see thatfiguresstandingto leftin The a vehicle moving to rightwould look ridiculous35. threemournerspostulated forthis area balance the three to the leftof the bier without insistingon the more symmetrical arrangementseen on Athens 804 (pi i, 1 and fig.3 ). Showing all of themstandingto rightconveys the effect of a statelyprocession. The Team of Horses section of the reWe come now to the most difficult construction,chieflybecause so little remains,just the 33 A 517, the On Louvre this tothe pertains mainly figures alongside inthe nottothose uooer bier, reeister. 34 A 517(pl. /,1-2).Forother So too,forAthens 804andLouvre in the DipylonWorkshop, Prothesis and see Ahlberg, examples 3-16. Ekphora figs. 35This not by mulesor by horse, appliesto wheeled transport cross-bar notspoked wheels andare which draw carts with donkeys, Museum ofArt56.11.1 slower vehicles. SeeMetropolitan by moving theprocession ofa wedding Painter which shows theAmasis party the intheAttic 66;Addenda2 45).There, (Paralipomena countryside Athens 803 and the Ekphora
heads and part of the necks of the two horses, theirfour hind hoofs and the end of each tail. Coldstream neatly summed up horses by the Dipylon Master and his closer associates when he wrote: "the delineation of the horse is one of the chiefglories of thisworkshop. There is less than in the drawing of humans; yet the most uniformity typical traits,once again, will emerge through a comThe preparison with contemporarywork elsewhere"36. served parts of our team depict threeof these traits:the wedge-shaped heads; shortmanes springingfromnicely arched necks; and stronghoofs capable of supportinga large animal. Before I tryto reconstructthe horses, it is necessary to reposition the fragmentpreservingtheir heads and the head of the man leading or holding them (pi 2, 3 ). is a 'floater',meaningthatit does not join This fragment break-to-breakwith any preserved part of the amphora. I believe it should be moved slightlyto the viewer's thereis a littlebit right.At the very top of this fragment of two units of the hatched orthodox meander pattern (the painted area around it is modern and the restored patternsare a littletoo compressed). This detail is best observed in pl. 1, j, fig.2 and pi 2, 3. Furtherto the left are several well preserved units of this ornament and each unit takes up about the same amount of space. The firstthingto do is to place a copy of these units in the area above the team where today the patternis wholly or partlymissing(see above), then line up the units preserved above the heads of the horses. This will move the to the rightfor a space of about halfa unit and fragment allow a littlemore space needed forthe team (pl. i, 3 and fig.3 ). In the photograph,the lower part of the necks of
andso bestman(parocbos) sitsin thegroom's cart therear facing ina second cart. Forgoodphotographs, seeD. doesoneofthe guests vonBothmer, TheAmasis Painter andhisWorld (1985)no.47 andJ. - R. Sinos, inAncient TheWedding Athens (1993) 68-69. Oakley figs. Fora similar cart usedas a hearse anddrawn ofdonkeys, see bya pair Cabinet desMedailles to the Class of the One-Handled 355assigned Kantharoi (ABV 346,8; Addenda2 94). The restof theentourage anaulos-player consists offive armed andsixmourners, one dancers, ofwhom is seated atthe back ofthe hearse. 36 GGP 39. Coldstream,
17
the horses appears to be modern inpaintingand the area below the muzzle looks abraded. Kourou notes: "surworn in places", but does not specify37. face slightly Next comes the rest of the horses. Since Athens 803 is a superb work by the Dipylon Master himself,I have used his chariotteam on Louvre A 517 as my model (pl. 1, 2), just as Kourou did, but with a slightadjustmentfor the more compressed space and a different subject (the ekphora vs. a war chariot). Coldstream remarked that "one trulydiagnostictraitshared by all the horses of the Dipylon Workshop" makingthemreadilyrecognizableis that"the line fromthroatto shoulder completes a graceful double curve, firstconcave and then convex, until it meets the forearmat a well-defined angle"38,also that "both forelegsand hindlegsare divided into two straight parts, meeting at a well-defined angle; the hooves are on the ground"39.Owing planted firmly slightlyoffset, to the narrowerspace allowed for the horses on Athens 803 than on Louvre A 517 (pi 1, 2), I have had to make their bodies more compact, resulting in horses with ones of the team squarer proportionsthan the rectilinear still have A but Louvre on 517, deep chests,strong they legs bent at the knees and hocks, as well as hindquarters, sturdyhoofs. Coldstream noted that "the extremetallness of the animals on 4 [Louvre A 517: here,pi 1, 2] their should not be regarded as entirelycharacteristic; of where the statureis dictatedby the context, height the horses must equal that of chariot and charioteercombined; when horses are shown singly and unharnessed, the proportions may be closer to nature (23) [Louvre A 541]"40.Our team, as reconstructed, displays exactly the featuresdescribed by Coldstream for Louvre A 517,
aesthetically pleasing (fig.3 ). The other well-preserved ekphora on a Geometric vase, Athens 990, offersa very different presentation. The hearse is not a low, narrow flatbed,but rathercompact and tall. Six short, vertical posts projecting from the floor of the vehicle support a checkered platform which in turnbears the weight of the deceased and bier There is no room for mourners except on (pi 2, /J41. the ground, though birds standing on the platformindicate it is a solid support. The bodies of the horses are about level with the floor of the hearse and theirheads reach almost to the level of the mattress.The resultis a scene that lacks the compositional unity and structure of Athens 803 (pi iy3 and fig.3 ). An oddity on Athens 990 is thatthereare two reins,but no one to hold them. to one leg of the bier, They appear attachedrathertightly which makes no sense because the heads and necks of the horses would have no flexibilityand the constant pressure of the metal bits on theirmouths would cause the animals pain. Only a driverholding the reinscan assure give-and-takeon the horses' mouths. I suspect the Hirschfeld Painter made a mistake here, especially because he drew a warriorholding the team by a lead line which is ratherslack (pl. 2, 1). On Athens 803, what appear to be reinsat the horses heads are partsof the filling ornament(pl. 2, 3 ). Before I proceed to the figurein frontof the horses, it is importantto consider the placement of the pole of 41 of andEkphora Prothesis 223callsthisan "adaptation Ahlberg, thebierto of carrying forthespecial chariot an ordinary purpose has beenplacedon the a platform andforthispurpose thegrave to difficult bequite This would the bier". for as a substructure chariot andcouldhardly areparallel ofa chariot thewheels because achieve in anycasewouldbe which on a bier, thedeceased accommodate with on a cart Forthebier a light vehicle. such for tooheavy placed seenote wheels drawn crossbar 35 above. bytwodonkeys, M.B.Moore
only adjusted forthe subject and composition on Athens 803. The backs of the horses line up with the heads of the kneelingmournersand theirheads are at the same height as the heads and raised arms of the mourners standing at the frontand back of the hearse. In otherwords, bier, hearse and team forma unit thatis practicallooking and
37 CVAAthens Kourou, 5,85. 38 and ofthis a variation healsowrote GGP 40.In 1997, Coldstream, horses "the inSydney where krater the Thisconcerns detail. another of theclassical characteristics two important unchanged preserve contour oftheforward double curve theelegant tradition: Dipylon hooves" offset andthesubstantial neck to shoulder, from (Dipylon v.here Krater pi 2,4). 39 GGP 39. Coldstream, 40 GGP 32no.23; A 541:Coldstream, GGP 39.Louvre Coldstream, 15 a. andEkphora Prothesis fig. Ahlberg,
the hearse and what may have filledthe spaces below the bellies of the horses and above theirbacks. In the Dipylon Workshop, the chariot pole issues from the floor of the chariot, then curves upward and its tip projects above the backs of the horses around or just behind the withers. On Louvre A 517, it curves back towards the breastworkof the chariot. The horizontal line connecting the two is called a pole-stay and its functionwas to keep the tensionconstantbetween the tip of thepole and the breastworkof the chariot (pi i, 2 and 2, 2). This arrangementwould not be suitable for a vehicle like the one on Athens 803. Rather,the "pole of a four-wheeler must articulateverticallyin order to permitvehicle and to unevennessof the draughtteam to adapt differentially in contrastto the pole of a chariot or other twoterrain, wheeler which must be rigidlyfixed to preventit from In otherwords, thereshould be just a pole collapsing"42. on Athens 803 and I have based mine on the simple one on the kraterfromVillard's Group, an LG I b phase of the Dipylon Workshop, Sydney 46.41, but omitted the pole-stay (pl. 2, 4)^. Alongside the horses, filling the space below their bellies, there were eitherornamentsor a figureflanked by a column of M's. Kourou chose the latter,presumably because her reconstructionis based on the chariot 42M. A. Littauer - J.H. Crouwel, New Light on Priam's Wagon, in:Selected from Also, 547[reprinted JHS108,1988, 195]. Writings the must befixed andrigid, because "although poleofa two-wheeler itsupports thevehicle, on a four-wheeler a polewith vertical playis essential. Thisis notonly a rigidly because fixed fit polewould only oneheight ofdraught but alsobecause attachment would animals, rigid turn the andpoleinto a single, this wagon long rigid body. Although function on smooth and level and might perhaps adequately going at slowgaits, intheground unevennesses wouldimmediately create difficulties. Front andback bealternately in wheels would suspended theair, stress on the on the area of attachment frame, putting wagon of thepole andwagonandofthepole andyoke, andpressure on thenecks oftheanimals. A wagon with vertically articulating pole, at a different from thepole, however, maytilt independently, angle andthus theentire itself better to theterrain" (M. equipage adapts - J.H. Crouwel, A. Littauer MetalModelsofWagons from Early in:Selected theLevant, from Levant 362[reprinted 5,1973, Writings i02ff.] n6f.). (362= Levant 5,1973, 43 Krater Coldstream, Dipylon pl.4, 1-2. Athens 803and the Ekphora
team on Louvre A 517 which shows a warriorin thisarea (pi 1, 2). I thinkshe is correct,but would preferthe figure to be a woman because of the non-militant character of the scene on Athens 803 beginningwith the female corpse and extendingto all the preservedmourners.My model is the mourner below the bellies of the threehorse team to the leftof the prothesison Sydney 46.41 (Pi.2,4r. to determineis what filled the Much more difficult space above the backs of the horses, because comparative materialfromthe Dipylon Workshop is sparse. All of the other teams draw chariots, so this area has to contain reins and pole-stay just as it does on Louvre A 517 and Sydney 46.41 (pls. 1, 2 and 2, 4), but a hearse requires neitherof these, so only ornamentwill appear in this entire area. With one exception, on all the Dipylon Workshop vases with chariots, the fill above the horses backs is in horizontal rows and I think this is the way it was on Athens 80345.Three units of a dotted lozenge chain in outline and some of a zigzag thatappear to the leftof the horses' heads just below the framinglines help to confirmthis (pi 2, 3). With these two patterns assured, I suggest very tentativelythat the zigzag could be repeated once and the dotted lozenge chain twice (fig.3 ). Since the team on Louvre A 517 (pl. 1, 2) was my model for the horses on Athens 803 (fig.3), I originallythoughtthaton the lattertheremight also have been a row of outline double axes, but when I tried out this pattern,it looked too heavy compared with the othertwo.
44Coldstream, A 517and Krater Louvre Dipylon pl. 4, 1. Besides one other chariot team in theDipylon 46.41, Sydney by a painter inthis A 541: hasa figure Louvre note This area, 40above. Workshop toois a pedestaled krater andthefigure is a warrior. Buton Athens 1think a female mourner flanked ofM'slooks more 803, bycolumns Other chariot teams from this have ornament appropriate. workshop inthis area. 45 Theexception isthe inHalle, ofa krater Robertinum 58/58 fragment A (Coldstream, GGP 31no. 16;Ahlberg, Prothesis andEkphora fig. between thepole-stay andthereins area doubleaxe in 6). There, outline anda dotted I amnotcertain ovule. what thebitofpattern is next tothe ovule.
19
The Man Leading the Horses We now need to reconstruct the man leading the team and to determineif another figureon foot accompanied him. Kourou thought "... the remaining space in the panel suggests a second human figureheading the procession"46. The ornamentsframing the figural decoration at each handle give the answer but, first, examinationof the handle patternson the obverse of Athens 804 is necessary (pi 7, 1). Next to handle B/A (the left handle), the ornamentsare: diagonal bars, hatched orthodox meander,diagonal bars, hatched double meander,diagonal bars, each pattern separated by three lines. At handle A/B, it is the same only reversed. In other words, the symmetry presentedby theprothesiscontinues into the ornamentat the handles. Since Athens 803 is virtuallya 'sister' vase to Athens 804, it seems reasonable to expect thatthe patternsframing the ekphora would be the same both in selectionof ornamentand in the amount of space some of each allocated to it at each handle. Fortunately, patternremainstoday and they are the same as those on Athens 804, though the proportionsof the meanderpatternsdiffer. Although part of each patternis missingon Athens 803, the width of each is assured. Thus, the total widthof the ornamentmay be calculated simplyby makon paper. The ing copies, then creatinga reconstruction resultindicatesthatthereis probably too muchplasterfill at handle B/A and the space allowed for the ornaments at handle A/B needs to be a littlewider47. Extendingthe ornamentat thishandle revealsthatthereis enough space only forthe man leading the horses (fig.3 ). As mentioned above, there appears to be inpainting of the lower parts of the horses necks and the area to the rightlooks abraded (pi 2, 3). A thin verticalline of glaze descends fromthe muzzle of the horse whose head is higher in the composition and there is the startof a similar line at the muzzle of the other. I suggest these are lead lines. Since only the head of the man leading the horses remains,I used as a model for his missingparts the second warriorfromthe lefton Athens 804 (pi iy i). 46 CVAAthens Kourou, 5,87. 47 CVA Athens SeeSchweitzer (note12)pl. 35 or Kourou, 5, op.cit. 1. 102, pl. 20
drawenlargedhim to fitthe space in the reconstruction of Athens then one arm and hand to 803, adjusted ing hold the lead line; followingthe example on Athens 990 (pi 2, i), I let one line stand for two. In the other hand, I suggest he may have held a goad48.A column of Ms ornament. fitsnicelybetween thisfigureand the framing Above his head are two crosshatchedlozenges and there is room fora third. Today, Athens 803 is not as well preservedas Athens 804, but in every way the two are equal in quality and importance.Together,they present the earliest detailed visual account of two important components of the ancient Greek funeral.Athens 804 depicts a respectful mourningofthedeceased at home; Athens803 a dignified, It is unfortunate that reservedprocession to thecemetery. the excavationrecordsforthese and otherDipylon vases lack the kind of detail available today for similar material,but we do know the area where theywere found and Athens 803 marked Grave what the graves were like49. the skeleton of a woman and some which contained I, and Pernice Brueckner of her jewelry50. thoughtAthens 804 stood above eitherGrave II or IV, but did not opt It is unlikelythatit was Grave IV, forone or the other51. because the iron blade of a sword was buried with the deceased, indicatingthe burial was that of a man. They of a large vase (Athens 805) also report that fragments were found about a meterabove the floorof thisgrave.It mended up to a heightof more than 1.20 m and is a bellyhandled amphora with two birds below each handle, 48 is a warrior thehorses On Athens 990,themanleading (pl.2, 1), in the would not be a figure butsuch appropriate ekphora probably a woman. for 49See Brueckner - Pernice, ioiff. , butespecially Friedhof, passim andtheir ofthepertinent a brief account forthevaseswith graves location onthe plan(pl.7). 50 - Pernice, ioiff. Friedhof Brueckner 51"Wirbeschreiben of Athens an dieserStelle[description 803, Vase kurz eine zweite [Athens 804],von welcher ioif.] grosse Die wir nicht ob sie zu dem GrabeII oderIV gehort. wissen, m..."(Brueckner Die Gesamthohe Form istdiegleiche. 1,60 betragt - Pernice, ofAthens a description Friedhof 804 103).Thenfollows (iojf.). M. B. Moore
but otherwiseis without figures52. It did not stand above Grave IV, a man's grave,which would have been marked and it may have stood above an unidentified by a krater, burial.While Athens 805 is about the same size as Athens 803 and 804, its appearance is modest by comparison. thatit Bruecknerand Pernice speculate rathertentatively II53. but a more have with Grave may belonged Perhaps, I II this. Graves and were be plausible suggestionmight I in very close proximity54. marked Grave Athens 803 and one wonders if Athens 804 stood above Grave II. Might the women buried in these graveshave been family members? It is temptingto speculate on such a connection,even ifproof is lacking.In any case and in an era that preceded by more than a centurythe introduction of marble stelae, this pair of monumentalvases, if they stood near one another, would have provided a memoraremarkable ble, truly sightfor any Athenian visitingthe Kerameikos. B. Moore Professor Mary - CUNY Hunter College East th Street 444 75 /USA NewYork, NY 10021
LIST OF PLATES PI. 1,1 Attic to the Geometric attributed belly-handled amphora ca.760-750 B.C. SideA:prothesis. Master, Athens, Dipylon DAI Athens Museum m.Phot. NM National 804.H. 1.55 (Gosta Hellner). 5948 totheDipyAttic Geometric krater attributed pedestaled lonMaster, ca. 750B.C. SideA:prothesis. Musee du Paris, A 517. h. 58.0 Louvre Preserved cm.Phot. Mus.(M. andP. Chuzeville). Attic Geometric attributed to the belly-handled amphora A: ca. B.C. Side Master, Athens, 760-750 Dipylon ekphora. National Museum m.Phot. DAI Athens NM 803.H. 1.75 (Hermann 5370 Wagner). Attic Geometric thename vaseof the krater, pedestaled Hirschfeld ca. 750-740b.c. Side A: ekphora. Painter, Museum National Athens, 990. H. 1.23m. Phot.DAI Athens NM 2754 (Hermann Wagner). attributed to thePassas EarlyProtoattic neck-amphora ca.700B.C. Procession ofchariots. The NewYork, Painter, Museum ofArt 21.88.18, Fund, 1921. Metropolitan Rogers H. 29.4-29.7 cm.Phot. Mus. inpl. 1, j. Detail ofthe heads ofthe horses illustrated Attic Geometric krater attributed to a painter pedestaled from the ca.750b.c.Detail ofSideA: Dipylon Workshop, chariot to left ofthe TheUniversity of prothesis. Sydney, TheNicholson h. Museum NM 46.41.Restored Sydney, I.26cm.Phot. Mus.(Russell Workman).
PI. 1,2
PI. 1,3
PL 2, 1
PL 2,2
PL 2,3 PL 2,4
mbmoore@mindspring.com 52"Dichtan derlinken Seitedes Korpers fand sichin Achselhohe die eiserne eines aus seiner Schwertes; Klinge Lage is wohl zu mit demWehrgehenk war.... dasses derLeiche schliessen, angelegt desAufsehers sind andem Punkte desGrabes, wo der NachAussage liber derSohledes Grabes, die KopfdesToten lag,etwaeinMeter Wirvermuten, Scherben einer Vasegefunden worden. dass grossen imMuseum mHohe istmit biszu mehr diese identisch einer als 1,20 welche mit linearen Ornamenten bemalt zusammengesetzten, ganz istundnur unter denbeiden Henkeln (Brueckje zweiVogel tragt" ner- Pernice, Friedhof Athens 107).For thisamphora, 805,see CVAAthens restored H. 1.38 m. Kourou, s, 84Landpls.100-101: 53 - Pernice, Brueckner Friedhof indess istdies 107:"Moglicherweise II gehort 1892 dieVase, welche zu Grab Ae^xiov ocQxaio^oyixov (vgl. inGrave S. 7 Nr.3)."There were noobjects found II because the area in a much wasreused for a subsequent burial later time. Brueckner - Pernice heriiberschnitten und 104:"Das Grabwarvon Siiden teilweise zerstort durch ein20cmdariiberliegendes sehr viel jiingeres In dem unversehrten Teile wurden keineBeigaben Brandgrab. Dass der Tote beerdigt mitSicherheit war,konnte aufgefunden. werden. Innerhalb des Schachtes, etwa1 m iiberdem festgestellt Bodendes Grabes die Scherben einer Grabvase grossen (vgl. lagen obenS. 103[= Athens 804])." 54 - Pernice, Friedhof Brueckner pl.7. Athens 803 and the Ekphora
LIST OF FIGURES Fig.1 Fig.2 Fig.3 Fig.4 of sideA ofAthens Kouros. 803byThanassis Drawing After CVA Athens of with 5,86 (reproduced permission NotaKourou). Reconstruction ofsideA ofAthens 803byThadrawing nassis Kouros. After CVA Athens with 5,86(reproduced ofNotaKourou). permission Reconstruction ofsideA ofAthens 803(drawing drawing byauthor). ofanAttic Geometric krater attributFragment pedestaled ed to theHirschfeld ca. 750-740 b.c.SideA: ekPainter, Akademisches Kunstmuseum 16.Preserved Bonn, phora. h.21.7cm.After Prothesis andEkphora 55b Ahlberg, fig. E. (drawing by Hiibner)
21
ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Die bedeutendste Gruppe der attisch geometrischen Vasenmaler gehort der Dipylon-Werkstattan, aus der Vasen des mittleren 8. Jahreinige der eindriicklichsten hunderts v. Chr. hervorgegangensind. Besondere Beachtung hat die vom Dipylon-Meister selbst geschaffene Bauchhenkelamphora Athen 804 gefunden,wohl weil sie das am besten erhaltene Gefass ist. Sie ist mit der Darstellung der Prothesis (Taf. 1,1) geschmiickt, einem haufigenThema auf attischenVasen dieser Zeit. Etwas vernachlassigt wurde dagegen bis vor kurzem die vom gleichen Kiinstler bemalte <Schwester-Amphora>, Athen 803. Auf ihr ist das seltene Thema der Ekphora ( Taf. 1,3; Abb. 1-3). Das Bild ist nur etwa zur dargestellt Halfte erhalten: Links stehen fiinfnach rechts gewendete klagende Gestalten (zwei am Boden, drei auf der Ladeflache des Leichenwagens); zwei weitere und eine nur zum Teil erhaltenedritteKlagegestaltknien auf dem Boden neben der Bahre; die verstorbenePerson, von der nur der Unterkorper erhalten ist, liegt auf der Bahre. Diese steht auf einem vierradrigenLeichenwagen, der von zwei Pferden gezogen wird (erhalten sind nur die Kopfe, Teile des Halses sowie die Schwanzspitzen und die Hufe der Hinterbeine). Vom Mann, der die Tiere ist nur der Hinterkopferhalten. fiihrt, In einer kiirzlicherschienenenStudie wurde die Szene versuchsweise wie folgt rekonstruiert (Abb. 2): drei knien neben der vor Bahre; ihr,ebenfalls Klagegestalten auf der Ladeflache des Leichenwagens,stehenzwei nach links, zum Kopf der verstorbenen Person gerichtete Klagende. Im vorgespannten Wagen stehtein Wagenlenker,der die Pferde fiihrt, begleitetvon einem <DipylonVor den Pferden stehen zwei weitere Krieger Krieger>. zu Fuss. Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird eine abweichende Rekonstruktionder fehlendenTeile des Bildes von Athen 803 vorgeschlagen(Abb. 3). So ist es namlich sehr undass der Leichenwagen von einem sepawahrscheinlich, raten Wagen gezogen wird, sind doch die griechischen Wagen zu leicht gebaut, als dass sie den Leichenwagen mit der Bahre und dem Verstorbenensowie zusatzliche auf dem Wagen stehende und kniende Trauerndehatten 22
ziehen konnen. Der Vergleichmit den sehr seltenenEkphora-Darstellungenlegt vielmehrdie Vermutungnahe, dass der Leichenwagen ein vierradriges Gefahrtmit einfacherLadeflache ohne Lenker war. Die Pferdewurden von einer Person zu Fuss gefiihrt. Ich schlage deshalb dass zwei weitere vor, Klagegestalten neben der Bahre so dass knieten, insgesamt fiinfPersonen dort zu erganzen sind. Im Ausgleich zu den Klagenden hinterder Bahre standendrei weiterePersonen rechtsvor der Bahre. Die beiden Pferde waren wie bei gewohnlichenWagen mittelseinerDeichsel am Leichenwagen angeschirrt, zu Fuss. Neben ihnen begleitetvon einem Pferdefiihrer stand moglicherweisenoch eine weitere,kleinereFigur, vermutlicheine Klagefrau. Weil die beiden Amphoren, Athen 803 und 804, einander in der Grosse und in der Dekoration so ahnlichsind,halte ich es furmoglich,dass sie auf zwei einander direkt benachbarten Grabern im Kerameikos standen. Redaktion) (Ubersetzung
M. B. Moore
Resume L'atelierdu Dipylon constituele groupe de peintresde vases attiquesle plus important de l'epoque geometrique. On lui doit un certain nombre de creations qui comptentparmi les plus impressionnantes realisees a Athenes au milieu du VIIIe siecle av. J.-C. L'amphore d'Athenes 804, oeuvre du Maitre du Dipylon, a jusqu'ici focalise Pattentiondes chercheursen raison de son excellentetat de conservation.La scene figurant sur sa panse represente la prothesis,un themefrequemment illustresur les vases de cette 1 En revanche,son amattiques epoque (pi 1, ). soeur d'Athenes 803, peinte par le meme artiste, phore a ete jusqu'ici quelque peu negligee par les chercheurs. La scene figureerepresenteune ekphora, un theme tres rarementillustre(pi 1, 3; fig. 1-3). Seule la moitie de la composition est conservee: sur la gauche, on distingue cinq personnages en lamentationqui se tiennentdebout, tournes vers la droite (deux sur le sol, trois sur la plateformedu char funeraire;deux autres personnages en lamentationet une partied'un troisiemesont agenouilles sur le sol a cote du lit funebre;le defuntest couche a micorps sur un lit place sur le char funeraireen forme de vehicule a quatre roues tirepar deux chevaux,dont seules les tetes,une partie de Pencolure,l'extremite de la queue et les sabots posterieurssont conserves; un homme dont on ne voit que Parrierede la teteles conduit. Une etude recente suggere de reconstituerles parties manquantes de la scene de la maniere suivante (fig.2): trois hommes en lamentationseraientagenouilles a cote du lit funebre;devant ce dernier,egalementsur la plateformedu char funeraire, se tiendraient deux autreshommes en lamentation,tournes vers la gauche, faisantainsi face au defunt;quant au char funebre,il serait attache a un char conduit par un aurige flanque d'un guerrierdu Dipylon. Devant les chevaux, il y aurait deux guerriers a pied. Nous proposons ici une reconstitutionquelque peu differente des parties manquantes de la scene figureesur l'amphore d'Athenes 803 (fig.3). On s'etonnera d'emblee qu'un char de combat puisse tirerun char funebre. En effet, le char grec etait trop peu solide pour tirerun char supportantle poids d'un homme gisantsur une plaAthens 803 and the Ekphora
teformeou se trouventegalementdes personnages en lamentationdebout et agenouilles. En examinantles queld 'ekphora, on constate que le ques rares representations char funeraire etaitun vehicule a plateforme dote de quatreroues et qu'il n'y avait pas d'aurige, les chevaux etant conduits par une personne a pied. Aussi suggerons-nous qu'il y avait deux personnes en lamentationsupplementairesagenouillees a cote du defuntsur la plateformedu char funeraire, ce qui faitun total de cinq, trois etantdebout a droitesur la plateforme pour equilibrerles troisde Parriere.Les deux chevaux tiraientle vehicule au moyen d'un timon semblable a ceux utilises pour les chars; un homme a pied conduisait l'attelage. Par ailleurs,on peut supposer qu'a cote des chevaux il y avait un personnage de petite taille, peut-etreune pleureuse. Enfin, comme les deux amphores d'Athenes 803 et 804 presententde fortessimilitudes,aussi bien en dimensions qu'en repreil est avance l'hypotheseque ces grands sentationfiguree, vases auraient pu signaler des tombes voisines dans le cimetieredu Ceramique. (Traduction Jean-Robert Gisler)
23

Athens 803 and The Ekphora

Transféré par

Informations du document

Titre original

Copyright

Formats disponibles

Partager ce document

Partager ou intégrer le document

Options de partage

Avez-vous trouvé ce document utile ?

Ce contenu est-il inapproprié ?

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

Athens 803 and The Ekphora

Transféré par

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

ATHENS 803 AND THE EKPHORA Author(s): MARY B. MOORE Source: Antike Kunst, 50. Jahrg. (2007), pp.

MARY B. MOORE ATHENS 803 AND THE EKPHORA

Kouros ofsideA ofAthens 803byThanassis Fig.i Drawing

Vous aimerez peut-être aussi