Description
Combining two mold-made faces beneath a pair of vertical handles and a flaring, wheel-made lip, this unusual drinking cup is a variation of the kantharos, a vessel favored by the wine god Dionysos. A snub nose and equine ears identify the satyr, a relatively common type on such vessels. The glossy black face and red hair on the other side are more unusual, apparently meant to show an older African man, with white beard and eyebrows, and wrinkles around the eyes.
Provenance
The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1979-)
Red-Figure Janiform Kantharos (Two-Sided Head-Shaped Drinking Cup): Satyr and African
c. 470–460 BCE
Accession Number
1979.69
Medium
ceramic
Dimensions
Overall: 19.6 x 17.2 cm (7 11/16 x 6 3/4 in.); Diameter of base: 8.5 cm (3 3/8 in.); Diameter of rim: 15.3 cm (6 in.)
Classification
Ceramic
Credit Line
John L. Severance Fund