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Home , Ancient Greek, Bowl, Nymphaeum (Illyria), Panathenaic Games, Pelike

Focus on objects

Notes for teachers

Ancient Greek objects at the Ashmolean

• These objects from ancient are on display in Gallery16: The Greek World. Objects on display include pottery, sculpture, jewellery and objects crafted from metal and stone. • Displays cover a wide range of themes; Early Greece, , Corinth and ; The Hellenistic World; gods and goddesses; heroes and ; the ; trading posts in Western and Eastern Greece; arts and crafts; death and burial; and athletics; art and literature. • The Ashmolean’ collections are especially rich in painted Athenian pottery in a range of shapes and designs, attributed to many different Painters, showing the , mythology and daily life.

Other galleries containing ancient Greek objects

Gallery 18: Gallery 20: Aegean World Gallery 14: Cast Gallery Gallery 7: Money Gallery 21: Greek and Roman Sculpture Gallery 3-4: Conservation

1, Gold necklace 2. Panathenaic Runners Gold necklace from a woman’s grave from the Athenian black-figure (storage jar), cemetery at , 500-401BC attributed to the Swing Painter, 550-501BC

Gold rosettes with hanging acorns alternate with Winners at the in Athens stylised lotuses supporting small beads. The received a large jar of sacred oil with the were nomads from central who goddess on one and an image settled on the north coast of the Black Sea. Items of the event on the other. Here, three youths excavated from the cemetery reveal a mix of compete in a foot race. The Panathenaic games, Scythian art and Greek luxury styles. held in honour of Athena, were modelled on AN1885.482 the and held every four in Athens from 566BC until the 3rd century AD. AN1965.117 3. The Shoemaker 4. Weights and measures Athenian black-figure (jar), attributed to Metrological relief, 460-450BC the Eucharides Painter, 550-500BC

This pediment-shaped relief probably hung Greek craftsmen generally had low status and above the entrance to a weights and measures many were slaves. Scenes of men at work are office in the marketplace of a Greek . It rare but give us a glimpse into everyday life. A depicts the upper part of a male torso. Each shoemaker cuts out a leather sole around the feature; the hand, arm span and, footprint and foot of a customer. Underneath is a of water fist cavity represents a different unit of measure. used to soften the leather before cutting. A MICHAELIS.83 AN1896-1908 G.247

5.Gallery The Symposium 16: The Greek World 6. Athenian Money Athenian red-figure pottery (jar), coins, 500-480BC 5.attributed Symposium to the jar Copenhagen 500-450BC Painter, 500-450 BC

The symposium was a drinking party held by Silver coins minted in Athens. Early Athenian elite Greek men. Gathering at a private home, coins varied in design. By 450BC, a head of the guests reclined on couches and drank city’s patron goddess Athena and an owl had mixed with water. Conversations ranged from become the standard, easily recognisable in and politics to gossip, becoming trade overseas. increasingly raucos as the night wore on. HCR 9476 Musicians, dancers and poets entertained the revellers. AN1965.127 AN1965.127 and the ’s Box Athenian black-figure amphora (storage jar), Athenian red-figure pottery (mixing bowl), attributed to the Painter of 1686, 550- attributed to the Group of Polygnotos, 475- 501BC 425BC

Theseus slays the Minotaur, a mythical beast which was half-man and half-bull. Theseus, a young prince from Athens, travelled to as Pandora was sculpted by the goddess Athena, part of the sacrificial offering of young men and assisted by , out of clay from the women made to the Minotaur to prevent King ground. She was given the gift of deception by attacking Athens. Theseus successfully who sent her to the foolish slayed the beast with the help of Minos’ daughter who fell in and married her. Ariadne. AN1896.1908 G 275 AN1918.64

9. ’s head 10. Woman’s jewellery pot Athenian black-figure (drinking ) with Athenian red-figure (lidded box) attributed gorgon’s head, 550-501BC to the Meidias Painter, 420-401BC

Symposium often used visual trickery to This jewellery box is embellished with added surprise guests when they had finished drinking. gold leaf and shows women trying on necklaces, Drinking games were also played where with the help of the winged , gods of love participants held their empty cups by the handle and lust. and flicked wine dregs at a target. AN1896. 1908 G.302 AN1974.344 Lines of enquiry: Working with objects: key questions

• Explore everyday life in Athens and Sparta • Who made it? through objects • Where and when was it made? • Research home life: houses, clothing, dinner • What materials is it made from? parties • How was it made? • The Olympic and Panathenaic Games • What was it used for? How was it used? • Greek scuplture; shrines and • Who used / owned it? • Athenian pottery: research different • How might it be interpreted by different ‘Painters’; function and shape; black, red people and at different times? figure ware and white ground pottery • Themes of decorated pottery: the Trojan war, mythology, daily life • : god and goddesses, their roles and significance, worship and • Explore the roles of different members of society: women, men, children, slaves and craftsmen. • The significance of myths to the

Lines of enquiry: Art & Design

Athenian red-figure pottery krater (mixing bowl) attributed to the Komaris painter , • Explore different techniques and styles of 475-425 BC A potter’s workshop with craftsmen and slaves painting and carrying vessels. Greek pottery design. Find out about how AN1896. 1908 G.287 patterns and designs changed over time and were adapted in different locations in the Greek empire. • Make a study of key design elements from Further resources The Beazley Archive: ancient Greek pots including the key and http://www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/tools/default.htm egg and dart pattern. Find examples of other Cast Gallery designs and use these as inspiration to create http://www.ashmolean.org/departments/ your own repeat patterns. castgallery/research/ • Explore how and where the Greeks used sculpture. How did they represent the body? What can we learn about clothing, hairstyles and fashion from sculpture?

Cross curricular links Education Department Ashmolean Beaumont Street • : the rise and expansion of the Greek Oxford OX1 2PH empire and its legacy today T. 01865 278015 • English: find out about the work of Greek E. [email protected] writers, poets and • Citizenship: explore www.ashmolean.org/learn