Transcript Lydos Vase

Lydos Column Krater Vase
Attribution Details:
This vase’s name is Lydos Column Krater
The painter was Lydos and it was created in 550BC
It is 56.5cm tall.
The potter is unknown.
It was used for mixing wine and water, but not used for
drinking. It’s purpose was to be used at a Symposium.
The Shape
The name of the shape is: Column Krater.
The Characters
Dionysus(Διώνυσος) –god of theatre and wine as well as the
inspirer of ritual madness and ecstasy.
Hephaestus(Ἥφαιστος)- He was the god of technology,
blacksmiths, craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, metals,
metallurgy, fire and volcanoes. He served as the blacksmith of
the gods, and he was worshipped in the manufacturing and
industrial centers of Greece, particularly in Athens.
Characters
Maenads- In Greek mythology, maenads were the female followers of
Dionysus. Their name literally translates as "raving ones". Often the
maenads were portrayed as inspired by him into a state of ecstatic
frenzy, through a combination of dancing and drunken intoxication.
In this state, they would lose all self-control, begin shouting
excitedly, engage in uncontrolled sexual behavior, and ritualistically
hunt down and tear animals (and sometimes men and children) to
pieces, devouring the raw flesh.
Satyrs- In Greek mythology, satyrs (Ancient Greek: Σάτυροι, Satyroi)
are a troop of male companion Dionysus — In mythology they are
often associated with sex drive and vase-painters often portrayed
them with perpetual erections.
The story on the vase



Return of Hephaistos to Olympus accompanied by
Dionysus, Satyrs and Maenads. Dionysus and
Hephaistos were placed on opposite sides of the
crater where they appear to have been separated amid
the riotous revelry of the party
Hephaistos as the lame good is depicted riding a mule
and carrying a wine flask, while Dionysus stands
serenely clasping a vine, a piece of ivy and a wine
horn- his godly attributes. Both gods stand aloof from
the festivities and it is obvious that the focus of the
artist’s decoration is the drunken behaviour of the
satyrs and the maenads.
The procession is led by a satyr playing the double
pipes (aulus) and he’s followed by scenes of tail
pulling, snake handling and wine guzzling.
Movements


You can tell that they’re followers due to how
their feet are arched and positioned all in the
same direction.
You can also tell they’re followers of Dionysus
due to how they’ve positioned their heads and
arms upwards as if in a celebratory dance. The
usage of having the head upwards and arms
also is a movement of the followers to show
their loss of mind with the Dionysus cult.
Details
It’s movement is a narrative technique, and it’s been portrayed in a
grand style which is one main narrative running along the body.
 The figure is black, and is one of the earliest vases, so it has not
developed the movement of drapery as it has later on in years.
 It creates a balanced composition of figures, and it focuses on the
main characters which have been placed in the center on each side of
the vase surrounded by their followers.
 The vase also has a single ground line so all the characters have been
portrayed on the same level.
 Black figure painters have a fear of leaving space, which explains why
it is so crowded on black vases.
 They also didn’t create much depth, but when they did it used to just
be a gentle overlapping.
