History of Ancient Pottery: Greek, Etruscan, and Roman. Volume 1 (of 2)Walters, H. B. (Henry Beauchamp)
History
History of Ancient Pottery: Greek, Etruscan, and Roman. Volume 1 (of 2)
Walters, H. B. (Henry Beauchamp)
Mythology, Classical, in art; Pottery, Ancient; Pottery, Etruscan; Pottery, Greek; Pottery, Roman
[Illustration: FIG. 36. KRATER WITH COLUMN-HANDLES.]
The column-handled krater is also found in the Naukratis wares of the
sixth century, as well as in the imitations of Corinthian fabrics in
which the Campana collection of the Louvre is so rich; the clay, style,
and inscriptions of the latter clearly show their Corinthian origin,
apart from the form. This krater is often decorated with friezes of
figures (as in the famous Amphiaraos krater, p. 319). In the few
existing Attic examples with black figures the subjects are in framed
panels. This form, after dying out before the end of the sixth century,
is revived towards the middle of the fifth in the later R.F. fabrics,
but in a much altered form, which gives greater prominence to the
columnar character of the handles. The neck is higher and narrower, and
the handles consequently lengthened, the square tops being much
diminished, and the body also takes a narrower and straighter form. In
the fabrics of Southern Italy this development is even more strongly
marked, and the elongated neck is adorned with an ivy-wreath in a
panel; this type enjoyed some popularity both in Apulia and Lucania.
The system of panel-decoration is employed throughout in all these
cases.
[Illustration: FIG. 37. VOLUTE-HANDLED KRATER.]
The only other form of krater found in the B.F. period—and that but
rarely—is that known as _volute-handled_ (_a rotelle_), from the large
handles reaching above the lip and curved round in a scroll (Fig. 37).
It has an egg-shaped body and large neck. The best and earliest example
is the François vase (p. 370), from which it may be clearly seen that
the form is derived from the columnar-handled krater. The British
Museum also possesses a fine example signed by Nikosthenes, with a
design in a frieze on the neck (B 364). The same shape and method of
decoration appear in some fine examples of the severe R.F. style (cf.
B.M. E 468, 469). During the R.F. period, two entirely new forms of
krater suddenly appear, known respectively as the _vaso a calice_ and
the _vaso a campana_, or “calyx-krater” and “bell-krater”; the former
is first used by Euphronios.[578] These names give a very accurate
description of the forms, the one being like the opening calyx of a
flower, the other like an inverted bell (Figs. 38, 39). In each the lip
projects above the body, the neck having entirely disappeared, while
the handles of the calyx-krater drop to the lower part of the vase, and
those of the bell-krater are attached horizontally to the sides. Both
types of handle are evidently adapted to carrying full vessels, like
the side-handles of the hydria. The name of ὀξύβαφον was given by
Gerhard[579] to the bell-krater, again without any real authority, and
probably owing to an error, from finding the name scratched underneath
one example. Comparison, however, with similar inscriptions (see
Chapter XVII.) shows clearly that the ὀξύβαφον was a small measure,
less even than a κύαθος, or ladleful. Athenaeus (xi.
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