chalice
- Museum number
- 1924,1201.348
- Description
-
Body sherd (mended from two fragments) of Chian black-figured Komast pottery chalice; white slip; interior glazed streaky black; two close-set added white bands; exterior: black-figure decoration consisting of komasts (only snapping hands remaining of two such figures); below, incised rosette with added red centre and possibly second rosette as filling ornament.
- Production date
- 560BC-550BC (circa)
- Dimensions
-
Height: 3.20 centimetres
-
Thickness: 0.30 centimetres
-
Width: 4.30 centimetres
- Curator's comments
- Lemos places this sherd in Group B of the Black Figure Komast chalices. On these chalices, a rim pattern is always present and on some of them, short and wide pendant rosettes hang from it. Some sherds in this group, including this one, are loosely connected with Group D of the Sphinx and Lion Style on the basis of the type of rosette.
Williams argues that the images portrayed on the komast chalices were perhaps representations of komos activities that took place in Chios. The buttock pads exaggerated the dancers’ bottoms. The sakkos worn by many of these komasts as well as the earrings suggest the dancers, who were male, were practicing a form of transvestism. If so, these Chians dancers were precursors of the magodoi or performers who wore women’s clothing, made lewd gestures and performed as female and drunk characters. The gestures of the dancers on the chalices are limited and consist of holding pomegranates, tambourines (or wreaths) and snapping fingers.
Such dances may also have been connected to religious festivals and performed after religious feasts.
Williams, 1983, 162-3
- Location
- Not on display
- Department
- Greek and Roman
- Registration number
- 1924,1201.348