The rooster and the snake are animals sometimes associated with the cult of Asklepios, the god of medicine and healing. It is possible that this elegant little vessel  More »

The rooster and the snake are animals sometimes associated with the cult of Asklepios, the god of medicine and healing. It is possible that this elegant little vessel originally held some sort of drug or soothing balm. Empty after the passage of centuries, it nonetheless works a powerful spell on the imagination. When we hold this lovely vase in our hands, as some person did so long ago, we share our pleasure with that long-forgotten individual. Though we know nothing else about them, we momentarily touch their world directly. - (PF.0092)   « Less

Since the dawn of time, man has danced to honor his gods, to placate the forces of nature, and for the sheer joy of it. On this delightful vessel--produced in the  More »

Since the dawn of time, man has danced to honor his gods, to placate the forces of nature, and for the sheer joy of it. On this delightful vessel--produced in the luxury-loving city of Corinth--four men are engaged in a perpetual and lively dance. In our imaginations we are transported back to some bright ancient day; we hear the drums, the flutes, the rhythmic beat of feet on the earth. We too feel inspired to dance, merely for the pleasure and the beauty of it. - (PF.0188)   « Less

The Greek city of Corinth was famous throughout the ancient world for its luxurious way of life, and for the finesse and beauty of its products. From the 9th century B.C.  More »

The Greek city of Corinth was famous throughout the ancient world for its luxurious way of life, and for the finesse and beauty of its products. From the 9th century B.C. onwards, ships from Corinth traded in pottery, perfumes, oils and silks at every port in the Mediterranean. This delicate little vessel perhaps contained costly scent or rare oils much prized by their ancient owners. In our imaginations, we can almost smell the fragrance that bloomed long ago. - (PF.0196)   « Less

In the tondo of this magnificent cup is a flying eagle, the sacred bird of Zeus and an age-old symbol of power and swiftness. The outside is adorned with splendid palmette  More »

In the tondo of this magnificent cup is a flying eagle, the sacred bird of Zeus and an age-old symbol of power and swiftness. The outside is adorned with splendid palmette patterns. Pieces such as this were made for export to the tables of the wealthy, and were so prized that they were often buried with their owners to delight them through eternity. Could the original owner of this vessel have ever experienced the pleasure that it brings to us today, now that the centuries have given it new meaning? - (PF.1005)   « Less

Once used for perfume or precious oils, this aryballos allows only drops of its contents to pour forth. The winged panther, painted in black, cream and brown, guarded the  More »

Once used for perfume or precious oils, this aryballos allows only drops of its contents to pour forth. The winged panther, painted in black, cream and brown, guarded the contents that this aryballos once contained. His wings are wide spread and his eyes stare forward without a blink. He may still think he is guarding the precious contents that vanished centuries ago. The beauty of this work of art remains to be treasured today as it was in the past. - (PF.3426)   « Less

An askos is traditionally used for pouring oil. However, this vessel has taken on the untraditional form of a bird. The elongated beak served as a spout while the oil would  More »

An askos is traditionally used for pouring oil. However, this vessel has taken on the untraditional form of a bird. The elongated beak served as a spout while the oil would have been loaded through the opening at the top of the bird’s back. Next to the loading mouth, there is a strap handle decorated with black painted lines. In fact, the entire vessel is elaborated with red and black painted highlights. Radiating lines depict the texture of the tail feathers protruding from the hind. The wings are elegantly painted with feathers and rows of hash marks. The bulging red eyes with recessed centers are painted in, as are sporadic spots along the neck. While pottery and functional vessels often took the form of animals, few are quite so entirely successful. In the end, this is not a pouring jar in the shape of a bird; but a bird in the form of a pouring jar. - (PF.5591)   « Less

On any given day, any one of us might pick up a cup, glass, or mug and hold it in our hands, drink from it, and make it a momentary part of our lives. The same was no doubt  More »

On any given day, any one of us might pick up a cup, glass, or mug and hold it in our hands, drink from it, and make it a momentary part of our lives. The same was no doubt true for this elegant drinking cup, called a skyphos, except that the last person to hold it before the modern age lived during the flowering of the Classical world. As we place it in our own fingers where theirs once rested, we are in direct touch—if only for a moment—with another life in a world only our imaginations can see. - (PF.0077)   « Less

In the Classical Age, the mythical griffin was a symbol of strength and nobility. With the beaked head of an eagle, the body of a lion, and splendid wings, it was often  More »

In the Classical Age, the mythical griffin was a symbol of strength and nobility. With the beaked head of an eagle, the body of a lion, and splendid wings, it was often adopted as an emblem of kings. The image of the griffin originated in the Persian East and was exported to Greece along the trade routes. It was particularly favored in the Greek colonies of Magna Graecia, where it adorned pottery, mosaics, jewelry, sculpture, and tapestries. This exquisite vessel is decorated with a griffin crouching as if preparing for flight. To look upon it is to understand the boundless limits of human imagination. - (PF.0147)   « Less

This regal woman is perhaps the fertility goddess Demeter, or Hera, queen of the gods. She sits enthroned, projecting an aura of serene and benevolent majesty. In the  More »

This regal woman is perhaps the fertility goddess Demeter, or Hera, queen of the gods. She sits enthroned, projecting an aura of serene and benevolent majesty. In the Classical age, as was the custom for millennia, such votives were offered to win the favor of the heavens. Admiring this piece we can only imagine what the ancient donor wished for. As our hands rest where ancient ones did so long ago, we are transported back into a vanished world. - (PF.1245)   « Less

As we pick this graceful vessel up by its handle, we cannot help but wonder who might have made these same gestures centuries before. When this little oinochoe was new, the  More »

As we pick this graceful vessel up by its handle, we cannot help but wonder who might have made these same gestures centuries before. When this little oinochoe was new, the Classical world was in its flowering. In Magna Graecia (pre-Roman southern Italy), cities originally founded by Greek colonists supported a luxurious lifestyle for their citizens. On the dressing table of some beautiful woman, this vase might have contained fragrant oils used to smooth the skin. What thoughts crossed her mind as she lifted the vase to pour out it contents? As we picture this moment, or a thousand variations on that same theme, we are connected across time with that vanished age and the people who gave it meaning. - (PF.2145)   « Less