Red-Figure Janiform Kantharos (Two-Sided Head-Shaped Drinking Cup): Satyr and African

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

Class K

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

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

John L. Severance Fund