Greek pottery is a glimpse into the Ancient Greek world. Because of its durability, it has given us insight into the Greeks’ values and culture that we would not have otherwise. This paper tells the story of two pieces of Greek pottery. The first is an amphora depicting Theseus and the Minotaur(MS4833) and the second is a Pyxis made by the famous Meleager Painter, which portrays the marriage of Herakles and Hebe(MS5462).
Day after day slaves and poor workers dug clay out of the rich Attican ground in the region surrounding Athens. Attica’s iron-rich clay, with its burnt orange hue and slight sheen, caused it to be known as the best clay throughout Greece. This special clay, along with Athenian appreciation of the arts, caused the Attica region …show more content…
This day, he was making an amphora. As he smoothed the clay on the wheel, creating the tall, oblong sphere of the jar, he began to think of the story he wanted to paint. He wanted this piece to have a true purpose other than just its physical function of storage. He then attached the curved handles to the top of the jar, satisfied with his work, although still uncertain of the story he wanted to present.
A few days later by the time the vase was leathery-dry, he knew the story he wanted to tell. The artist’s origins lay on Crete. Of all the connections between the artist’s world today and this mysterious land of the past, one story was etched in the young artist’s brain. A terrible beast lived in the palace of the great king of Crete. When placed under a spell, the Cretan queen had fallen in love with a majestic bull and they conceived the Minotaur. The king of Crete trapped the creature, which was half bull and half man, in the center of the labyrinth, never to see the outside world …show more content…
During this century, archeology became a more common pastime for wealthy scholars. After being recovered and restored around 100 years ago, both pieces made their way to the Penn Museum. Riccardo Mancini and his team excavated this amphora and later sold it to John Wanamaker, a famous Philadelphia-based businessman and politician, who was also a passionate collector of art and antiques. John Wanamaker eventually donated this amphora and many other Greek artifacts to the Penn Museum. The pyxis lid made its way to E. Canessa, who then sold it to the Penn Museum in
Day after day slaves and poor workers dug clay out of the rich Attican ground in the region surrounding Athens. Attica’s iron-rich clay, with its burnt orange hue and slight sheen, caused it to be known as the best clay throughout Greece. This special clay, along with Athenian appreciation of the arts, caused the Attica region …show more content…
This day, he was making an amphora. As he smoothed the clay on the wheel, creating the tall, oblong sphere of the jar, he began to think of the story he wanted to paint. He wanted this piece to have a true purpose other than just its physical function of storage. He then attached the curved handles to the top of the jar, satisfied with his work, although still uncertain of the story he wanted to present.
A few days later by the time the vase was leathery-dry, he knew the story he wanted to tell. The artist’s origins lay on Crete. Of all the connections between the artist’s world today and this mysterious land of the past, one story was etched in the young artist’s brain. A terrible beast lived in the palace of the great king of Crete. When placed under a spell, the Cretan queen had fallen in love with a majestic bull and they conceived the Minotaur. The king of Crete trapped the creature, which was half bull and half man, in the center of the labyrinth, never to see the outside world …show more content…
During this century, archeology became a more common pastime for wealthy scholars. After being recovered and restored around 100 years ago, both pieces made their way to the Penn Museum. Riccardo Mancini and his team excavated this amphora and later sold it to John Wanamaker, a famous Philadelphia-based businessman and politician, who was also a passionate collector of art and antiques. John Wanamaker eventually donated this amphora and many other Greek artifacts to the Penn Museum. The pyxis lid made its way to E. Canessa, who then sold it to the Penn Museum in