Forwarded from Architecture of the Byzantine world (☦️Saint Apu☦️)
Late antique/early byzantine Coptic capitals in Athens Byzantine and Christian Museum.
A Byzantine key, 5th century (Late Antique), bronze.
This type of key, commonly used during the Byzantine period, could be easily carried, an important feature at a time when clothes had no pockets. The hoop of the key fits like a finger ring, and the short barrel can be folded into the palm of the hand. Unlike the teeth on modern keys, the slotted holes on this example are purely decorative, while the small crosses were intended to protect the owner's possessions.
This type of key, commonly used during the Byzantine period, could be easily carried, an important feature at a time when clothes had no pockets. The hoop of the key fits like a finger ring, and the short barrel can be folded into the palm of the hand. Unlike the teeth on modern keys, the slotted holes on this example are purely decorative, while the small crosses were intended to protect the owner's possessions.
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Temple of Artemis, Brauron, Attica, Greece.
The temple of Artemis at Vravrona is a Doric temple built in the first half of 5th century BC at the site of an older temple (6th c. BC) destroyed by the Persians and it was the center of worship at the sanctuary. The cult statue of the goddess stood in the cella of the temple and a festival every four year the Brauronia was held in honour of the goddess. The possession of worshippers started from the sanctuary of Artemis Brauronia on Acropolis of Athens and arrived at the sanctuary of Brauron.
During the ritual of arkteia, girls from renowned families of Athens stayed in the sanctuary in order to be prepared for marriage and motherhood.
The temple of Artemis at Vravrona is a Doric temple built in the first half of 5th century BC at the site of an older temple (6th c. BC) destroyed by the Persians and it was the center of worship at the sanctuary. The cult statue of the goddess stood in the cella of the temple and a festival every four year the Brauronia was held in honour of the goddess. The possession of worshippers started from the sanctuary of Artemis Brauronia on Acropolis of Athens and arrived at the sanctuary of Brauron.
During the ritual of arkteia, girls from renowned families of Athens stayed in the sanctuary in order to be prepared for marriage and motherhood.
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Greek terracotta column-krater, (bowl for mixing wine and water), ca. 460 BC.
This scene of five women gathering apples into wicker baskets is taken from daily life, but it brings to mind representations of the beautiful Hesperids, who guarded a tree of golden apples that brought immortality. The women depicted on this vase were young Athenian women, perhaps accompanied by a female servant to do the heavy lifting. Since apples were most often associated with female beauty, weddings & women's sexuality, they could be preparing for some ritual activity or women's festival in a sacred grove. Sappho famously wrote of a single apple that eluded the grasp of the pickers because it was at the very end of the bough. But here the woman portrayed at left holds a long stick that she may be using to shake loose the apples too high to reach, furthering enhancing the bucolic nature of the task at hand.
This scene of five women gathering apples into wicker baskets is taken from daily life, but it brings to mind representations of the beautiful Hesperids, who guarded a tree of golden apples that brought immortality. The women depicted on this vase were young Athenian women, perhaps accompanied by a female servant to do the heavy lifting. Since apples were most often associated with female beauty, weddings & women's sexuality, they could be preparing for some ritual activity or women's festival in a sacred grove. Sappho famously wrote of a single apple that eluded the grasp of the pickers because it was at the very end of the bough. But here the woman portrayed at left holds a long stick that she may be using to shake loose the apples too high to reach, furthering enhancing the bucolic nature of the task at hand.
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Greek Terracotta lekythos (oil flask), ca. 470–460 BC depicting a young warrior cutting his hair before battle.
This image of a young warrior cutting his hair before battle may reflect a scene in Seven against Thebes, a tragedy by Aeschylus. The seven heroes knew that only one of them would survive the battle. Each cut a lock of his hair and tied it to the chariot that would carry home the survivor. This terracotta lekythos was probably made as a tomb gift. It may represent one of the seven heroes, or it may reflect the heroic death of an Athenian youth.
This image of a young warrior cutting his hair before battle may reflect a scene in Seven against Thebes, a tragedy by Aeschylus. The seven heroes knew that only one of them would survive the battle. Each cut a lock of his hair and tied it to the chariot that would carry home the survivor. This terracotta lekythos was probably made as a tomb gift. It may represent one of the seven heroes, or it may reflect the heroic death of an Athenian youth.
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Greek gold finger ring with Herakles, Classical Period, circa Late 5th/Early 4th cent. BC
Forwarded from ⚜️History In Art & Photos 🖼
The Battle of Navarino, painting by Ambroise Louis Garneray. In this key battle in the war for Greek independence, allied forces from Britain, France, and Russia decisively defeated Ottoman and Egyptian forces trying to suppress the Greeks, thereby helping the Greek cause. An Ottoman armada was destroyed by an Allied force of British, French and Russian warships. It was the last major naval battle in history to be fought entirely with sailing ships, although most ships fought at anchor.
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Human-faced Crab Carapace on a Greek Drachm from Akragas (Sicily), c. 420 BC.
The obverse shows two eagles perched on the carcass of a hare. This design may have been inspired by the omen presented to Agamemnon and Menelaus in Aeschylos’ Agamemnon, where two eagles, representing the two kings, devoured a pregnant hare, an allusion to the city of Troy. The reverse shows a crab seen from above with the carapace turned into the human face which remarkably resembles the Heikegani Crab, a species native to Japan. Beneath it is a crayfish with a barley-grain and a cicada on either side.
The obverse shows two eagles perched on the carcass of a hare. This design may have been inspired by the omen presented to Agamemnon and Menelaus in Aeschylos’ Agamemnon, where two eagles, representing the two kings, devoured a pregnant hare, an allusion to the city of Troy. The reverse shows a crab seen from above with the carapace turned into the human face which remarkably resembles the Heikegani Crab, a species native to Japan. Beneath it is a crayfish with a barley-grain and a cicada on either side.
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