Attic red-figure ceramic pelike showing a lively scene from Greek comedy: a costumed actor in a bird (rooster) outfit with wings, tail, and a raised leg.

Pelike with an Actor Dressed as a Bird

by Ancient Greek ArtArchaeologyArtGreek ArtPowerpointsSocial Studies
Attic red-figure ceramic pelike showing a lively scene from Greek comedy: a costumed actor in a bird (rooster) outfit with wings, tail, and a raised leg.
Red Figure Pelike with an Actor Dressed as a Bird, 430-420 BC, Attic red-figured Pelike, Hight: 20.3 cm, , Michael C. Carlos Museum of Emory University, GA, USA https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Figure_Pelike_with_an_Actor_Dressed_as_a_Bird

At first glance, this small Attic pelike seems playful, an oddly dressed figure, half-human and half-bird, frozen in mid-performance. Yet, the Red Figure Pelike with an Actor Dressed as a Bird (430–420 BC) offers far more than whimsy. Preserved today in the Michael C. Carlos Museum, the vase captures a moment from the theatrical world of classical Athens, where comedy, costume, and visual spectacle merged into a powerful cultural language. Read through the lens of Aristophanes’ The Birds, this modest ceramic vessel becomes a rare window into how ancient Greeks imagined performance and how costume transformed actors into living symbols on the stage.

What is the Red Figure Pelike with an Actor Dressed as a Bird? This object is a small Attic red-figure pelike, dated to around 430–420 BC, a vessel type typically used for storing liquids such as oil or wine. On its surface, however, it bears a highly unusual image: a costumed actor dressed as a bird, complete with wings, tail, and mask. Rather than depicting myth or daily life, the vase represents the world of theatrical performance, making it one of the clearest surviving visual records of ancient Greek comedy in action.

Who is depicted and why is it notable? The central figure is an actor wearing a full bird costume, most likely a rooster, while a musician on the reverse plays the double aulos. This pairing signals that we are witnessing a staged performance, not a symbolic or mythical scene. What makes the image remarkable is its specificity: it does not simply suggest theater, but shows the physical mechanics of costume, mask, and performance. The exaggerated body, feathered attachments, and theatrical posture reveal how comedy relied on visual transformation to communicate character and humor instantly.

Where and when was it made, and where is it now? The pelike was produced in Attica during the late fifth century BC, at the height of Athens’ cultural and theatrical innovation. Today, it is housed in the Michael C. Carlos Museum of Emory University in Georgia, where it stands as one of the most important visual documents of ancient Greek theater. Its survival allows us to connect literary descriptions of drama with tangible artistic evidence.

Why would a vase depict a theatrical performance? In classical Athens, theater was not merely entertainment, it was a civic and religious experience tied to festivals honoring Dionysus, the god of wine and performance. Vases used in symposia often featured Dionysian or theatrical imagery, reinforcing the link between wine, celebration, and drama. This pelike therefore functioned both as a utilitarian object and as a visual reminder of one of the most defining cultural practices of Athenian life.

How does this image connect to Aristophanes’ The Birds? Although the pelike predates Aristophanes’ The Birds (first performed in 414 BC), it reflects the same comic tradition that made such a play possible. Aristophanes famously populated his stage with costumed birds who formed a chorus and enacted a fantastical political satire. The pelike demonstrates that bird costumes were already part of the theatrical vocabulary, helping audiences recognize characters immediately and heightening the visual humor. Rather than illustrating a specific scene, the vase reveals the performative world from which The Birds emerged.

What does this tell us about ancient Greek theatrical costume? Greek comedy relied on exaggerated dress, masks, and bodily transformation. Costumes were not decorative but communicative: they defined identity, role, and tone at a glance. The bird costume on the pelike shows how actors used artificial wings, tails, masks, and footwear to create hybrid beings that were simultaneously humorous, symbolic, and instantly legible to spectators. Such visual coding was essential in large open-air theaters, where meaning had to be seen as well as heard.

Why is this pelike important for understanding ancient performance? Literary texts tell us what was said on stage; this vase shows us how performance looked. It preserves details of costume construction, posture, and stage presence that no script can convey. As a result, the pelike bridges material culture and dramatic literature, allowing us to reconstruct how comedy was embodied before an audience. It is one of the few surviving artifacts that captures the physical reality of ancient theatrical illusion.

What broader themes does this object illuminate? Beyond theater, the pelike speaks to themes of transformation, identity, and the power of visual storytelling in Greek culture. Birds, creatures that cross the boundary between earth and sky, become tools for satire and social commentary, much as they do in Aristophanes’ play. The vase also reminds us that art and performance were deeply interconnected in Athens: pottery did not merely decorate daily life, it recorded and reflected the spectacles that defined communal experience.

For a PowerPoint Presentation, titled Aristophanes, Staging Ornithes (The Birds): Art, Costume, and Performance from Antiquity to Today, please… Check HERE!

Bibliography: from the Michael C. Carlos Museum of Emory University in Atlanta https://collections.carlos.emory.edu/objects/24341/redfigure-pelike-with-actor-dressed-as-bird and Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Figure_Pelike_with_an_Actor_Dressed_as_a_Bird

Alabaster disk carved in low relief depicting a ritual libation scene from the Akkadian period: at center, Enheduanna, daughter of Sargon of Akkad and high priestess of Nanna.

Enheduanna the first named author in history

by ArchaeologyArtEducationMesopotamiaPowerpointsPrehistoric ArtSocial Studies
Alabaster disk carved in low relief depicting a ritual libation scene from the Akkadian period: at center, Enheduanna, daughter of Sargon of Akkad and high priestess of Nanna.
Disk of Enheduanna, daughter of Sargon, on one side is a panel wherein is carved in relief a scene of sacrifice, on the other an inscription of Enheduanna, daughter of Sargon of Akkad, Akkadian period, ca. 2300 BC, Alabaster, Diameter 25 cm, Depth: 7 cm, University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, USA
https://www.penn.museum/collections/object_images.php?irn=293415#image2 and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enheduanna

On the eve of International Women’s Day, this post turns to Enheduanna the first named author in history, a princess and high priestess whose voice still resonates across four millennia. Daughter of Sargon of Akkad and high priestess of the moon god Nanna at Ur, Enheduanna shaped religious thought through both word and image, uniting political authority, ritual practice, and poetic devotion. An alabaster disk dedicated in her sacred precinct preserves not only her name but also her likeness, depicting her presiding over a solemn rite as her gaze lifts from the mortal realm toward the divine presence of Inanna. Fragmentary yet powerful, this object stands as a rare testament to a woman who claimed authorship, spiritual authority, and enduring legacy in the ancient world.

Who was Enheduanna, and how did she choose to be remembered? What does it mean that the earliest named author in human history is known not only through texts, but also through an image that stages ritual authority with deliberate clarity? And how can a fragmentary disk, copied centuries after her lifetime, still speak so eloquently about power, devotion, and presence? These questions shape our encounter with Enheduanna today, inviting us to look closely at how identity was constructed and preserved in the sacred spaces of ancient Mesopotamia.

Who Was Enheduanna, the First Named Author in History? Enheduanna lived in the twenty-third century BC, when political unification and religious practice were inseparable, and as daughter of Sargon of Akkad she was appointed high priestess of the moon god Nanna at Ur to lead the city’s religious community and mediate between Akkadian imperial authority and long-established Sumerian cult traditions. Her name matters because she did not remain an anonymous officeholder: through first-person hymns to Inanna and an inscribed alabaster disk whose cuneiform text was preserved and recopied centuries later, Enheduanna asserted authorship and ensured that her identity was not incidental but deliberately transmitted memory, in this case, functioning as an act of cultural continuity.

What does the Disk show us about Power and Presence? Carved in alabaster, the disk presents Enheduanna at the center of a ritual scene within an open-air sacred precinct. She is depicted slightly larger than the priests who accompany her, a visual strategy that signals hierarchy without excess. Her posture is composed, her presence commanding but restrained. The multistory structure at left situates the ritual within architectural space, reinforcing the institutional framework of her authority. Power here is not enacted through force or spectacle, but through sanctioned participation in sacred rites.

How does ritual become image? The scene unfolds with careful economy. Two priests follow Enheduanna, carrying ritual paraphernalia, while the figure before her pours a libation over an altar. Enheduanna’s raised hand authorizes the act, transforming gesture into command. Her tiered, flounced garment and circlet headdress—elements that would become canonical for high priestesses—mark her role with visual precision. The disk does not narrate ritual; it distills it, translating repeated ceremonial practice into a permanent, legible image.

Why does Enheduanna look upward? Perhaps the most arresting element of the disk is Enheduanna’s gaze. Her well-sculpted face turns upward, bridging the space between the human and the divine. This upward orientation is not expressive in a modern emotional sense, but symbolic: it situates her as intermediary, one who mediates between earthly ritual and the numinous presence of Inanna. The image thus encodes theology as posture, belief as direction of sight.

Why does Enheduanna still Matters Today? Enheduanna’s legacy is not only one of authorship, but of resilience under political rupture. Toward the end of the reign of Narām-Sîn, the Akkadian Empire was shaken by widespread rebellion. In Ur, a ruler named Lugal-Ane seized power and invoked the authority of the moon god Nanna to legitimize his rule. As high priestess and representative of the Sargonid dynasty, Enheduanna was called upon to sanction this claim. She refused.

Ancient clay tablets covered in cuneiform script, the inscribed literary text attributed to Enheduanna, the Mesopotamian priestess and earliest known named author; the tablets are part of the Yale Babylonian Collection.
Enheduanna’s writings are inscribed on to clay in cuneiform, Credit: The Yale Babylonian Collection/ Photo by Klaus Wagensonner
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20221025-enheduanna-the-worlds-first-named-author

Her refusal had consequences. Enheduanna was stripped of her office and expelled from Ur, forced into exile, likely in the city of Ĝirsu. It is from this position of displacement that she composed Nin me šara (The Exaltation of Inanna), a hymn that is both a devotional appeal and a political act. Speaking directly to the goddess, Enheduanna narrates injustice, loss, and restoration, transforming personal suffering into ritual speech intended to move the divine realm itself.

When Narām-Sîn eventually suppressed the rebellion and restored Akkadian authority, Enheduanna appears to have returned to her post. Her survival, political, ritual, and textual, is remarkable. She emerges not as a passive figure preserved by history, but as an active agent who used language, ritual authority, and divine appeal to endure and reassert her position.

Installation view of the She Who Wrote: Enheduanna and Women of Mesopotamia, ca. 3400–2000 BC exhibition at the Morgan Library & Museum, showing a series of ancient Mesopotamian artifacts including the Disk of Enheduanna.
She Who Wrote: Enheduanna and Women of Mesopotamia, ca. 3400–2000 BC Exhibition at the Morgan Library and Museum, New York.
https://ajaonline.org/museum-review/4785/

This dimension of Enheduanna’s life sharpens her relevance today. She matters not only because she was the first named author, but because she wrote in crisis, from exile, and against erasure, consciously shaping how her words would endure. In Nin me šara, she frames her hymn as an act of creation and transmission: “I have given birth, / Oh exalted lady, (to this song) for you. / That which I recited to you at (mid)night / May the singer repeat it to you at noon!” Her voice endures because it was forged in instability and entrusted to repetition, preserved not by chance, but because it was meant to be carried forward long after the immediate conflict had passed.

On this International Women’s Day, we honor Enheduanna as a reminder that women’s voices, like hers, forged in authority, creativity, and resilience, have shaped history and continue to inspire across millennia.

For a PowerPoint Presentation titled Mesopotamia’s Women Who Wrote History, please… Check HERE!

Bibliography: a BBC Article https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20221025-enheduanna-the-worlds-first-named-author, from Penn Museum Expedition Magazine https://www.penn.museum/sites/expedition/goddesses-mothers-rulers/ and from the Morgan Library https://www.themorgan.org/exhibitions/online/she-who-wrote  

The Consular Diptych of Anicius Faustus Albinus Basilius

by ArchaeologyArtByzantine ArtByzantine IvoriesByzantiumEarly Christian ArtEducationMuseumsSocial StudiesStudent ActivitiesWorksheets
Consul Basilio with personification of Rome and chariot race, 541 – 541, Plaque of an Ivory Consular Diptych, 34.5×12.9 cm, National Museum of Bargello, Florence, Italy – Photo Credit: Amalia Spiliakou, April 2025
Ivory Angel fragment of a diptych valve, 6th Century, Ivory, Museum of Ancient Art in the Castello Sforzesco, Milan, Italy
https://www.alamy.com/ivory-angel-from-bottega-romana-fragment-of-a-diptych-valve-6th-century-museum-of-ancient-art-in-the-castello-sforzesco-sforza-castle-in-milan-italy-image223703517.html

The Bargello panel of The Consular Diptych of Anicius Faustus Albinus Basilius (consul in 541 AD) offers a vivid glimpse into the ceremonial splendor and political symbolism of late antiquity. Carved in fine ivory, the plaque depicts the Consul Basilio standing frontally beside the personification of Rome, who crowns him with a laurel wreath, a timeless emblem of civic and military virtue. Below unfolds a chariot race, a rare and dynamic motif symbolizing the public games that marked the consul’s inauguration. The consul holds both the scipio topped with a cross and the mappa circensis, the cloth used to signal the start of the races, fusing Christian and traditional Roman imagery in a moment of political theater.

Once hinged to a now-separated companion leaf, the Milan panel (Avori 10, Castello Sforzesco), the Bargello relief would have formed one side of a luxurious diptych presented to commemorate Basilius’s consulship. The Milan fragment, showing Victory presenting the consul’s portrait within a clipeus, completes the scene’s message of divine favor and public virtue. Together, these ivories capture the final flowering of the consular tradition, bridging Roman civic ideals and Byzantine court aesthetics, and reflecting a world where art served both as devotion and as declaration of power.

Consular diptychs were luxurious paired ivory panels created in the late Roman and early Byzantine periods to commemorate the inauguration of a consul, one of the highest offices in the empire. Traditionally carved on the inside to hold wax for writing, these diptychs evolved by the 4th and 5th centuries into richly decorated ceremonial gifts rather than practical objects. Newly appointed consuls commissioned them to celebrate their accession and distributed them to friends, allies, and dignitaries as tokens of prestige and gratitude. The front surfaces were elaborately carved with scenes of the consul’s investiture, imperial imagery, or allegorical figures such as Victory or Rome, while inscriptions proclaimed the consul’s name and titles. Their iconography—often showing the consul presiding over games, dispensing largesse, or associated with divine favor—served to reaffirm the continuity of Roman civic traditions even as imperial power shifted eastward to Constantinople.

Anicius Faustus Albinus Basilius, consul in 541 CE, was a distinguished member of the ancient and influential Anicii family, one of the last great senatorial lineages of Rome. His career unfolded during a turbulent period in the Gothic War and the final years of the Western Roman aristocracy. Before attaining the consulship, Basilius held prominent administrative posts, including comes domesticorum (commander of the imperial household guard) and patricius, titles that reflected both his rank and his proximity to the imperial court. Appointed consul by Emperor Justinian I, he was the last man to hold the title in the Western tradition. After his term, the consulship ceased to exist as an independent civic office and became an imperial prerogative. His consular games, commemorated by the magnificent ivory diptych now divided between Florence and Milan, symbolized both the enduring prestige of Rome’s senatorial elite and the transformation of Roman political culture under Byzantine rule. Basilius’s life thus marks a poignant historical threshold: he stood at the end of Rome’s ancient civic offices and the dawn of a new, imperial order dominated by Constantinople.

The Consular Diptych of Anicius Faustus Albinus Basilius, divided today between the Bargello Museum in Florence and the Museo delle Arti Decorative in Milan, stands as one of the most compelling survivals of sixth-century ivory art. Created in 541 CE to commemorate Basilius’s consulship—the last in the Western Roman tradition—the two panels once formed a hinged pair, uniting political ceremony, imperial iconography, and refined craftsmanship. The Bargello panel represents the consul’s public and civic identity, while the Milan plaque embodies the divine and honorific aspects of his role, creating a complete visual narrative of authority and virtue.

Consul Basilio with personification of Rome and chariot race, 541 – 541, Plaque of an Ivory Consular Diptych, 34.5×12.9 cm, National Museum of Bargello, Florence, Italy – Photo Credit: Amalia Spiliakou, April 2025

The Bargello panel presents Basilius standing frontally in full consular regalia beside the personification of Rome, who crowns him with a laurel wreath, a symbol of victory and civic honor. In his hands, the consul holds the scipio topped with a cross and the mappa circensis, signaling the opening of the chariot races carved below in vivid relief, where teams of four-horse chariots turn around the spina of the circus. This combination of Christian and traditional Roman imagery reflects the fusion of old civic ritual with new imperial faith. The Milan plaque, by contrast, depicts a winged Victory seated on a globe, her feet resting on an eagle’s outstretched wings as she presents a clipeus containing Basilius’s portrait. Around it runs the inscription BONO REI PVBLICAE ET ITERVM (For the good of the Republic, and again), proclaiming the consul’s service to the state. Together, these compositions balance earthly power and celestial sanction, merging public ceremony with divine endorsement.

Aesthetically, the two panels reveal both unity and distinction. The Bargello panel is dense and narrative, crowded with human figures and architectural motifs that emphasize movement and civic spectacle. The Milan panel, in contrast, is more restrained and idealized, its composition centered, symmetrical, and imbued with spiritual calm. The Milanese Victory, delicately modeled and classically poised, recalls earlier Roman traditions of divine personification, while the Bargello figures are more rigid, their proportions elongated, their gestures formalized in the emerging Byzantine style. The difference in tone, public versus celestial, active versus contemplative, suggests that the two leaves were designed as complementary expressions of the same ideology: the earthly authority of the consul validated by divine and imperial favor.

Viewed together, the two ivories encapsulate the final synthesis of Roman civic art and Byzantine symbolism. They celebrate the consulship not merely as an office but as a sacred performance of continuity between past and present, Rome and Constantinople, man and empire. Their divided survival, one in Florence, one in Milan, mirrors the historical fragmentation of the world that produced them, yet their shared message endures: that power, piety, and artistic excellence could still converge in the twilight of antiquity. As such, the diptych of Basilius stands not only as a testament to individual glory but as a poignant farewell to the visual language of Roman public life.

For a Student Activity, please… Check HERE!

Bibliography: Representing consulship: on the conception and meanings of the consular diptychs, by Cecilia Olovsdotter, OpAthRom 4, 2011, 99-124 https://www.academia.edu/11849854/Representing_consulship_on_the_conception_and_meanings_of_the_consular_diptychs_OpAthRom_4_2011_99_124?utm_source=chatgpt.com and https://catalogo.beniculturali.it/detail/HistoricOrArtisticProperty/0900645430

Martial Reportage and Archaeological Revelation

by 20th century ArtArtSocial StudiesStudent ActivitiesWorksheets
Photographer: Ariel Lowe Varges, American, 1890–1972
Discovery of the ancient marble memorial plaque praising the virtues of Manius Salarius Sabinus for his benefactions by the 8th Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers whilst digging trenches on part of the Birdcage Line defences between the villages of Aivatli and Laina (ancient Lete),April 1916, (in the Collection of the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki), Photo date: 1916– Photo Credit: Imperial War Museums, UK https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205297459
The ancient marble memorial plaque praising the virtues of Manius Salarius Sabinus for his benefactions (in the Collection of the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki), Photo date: 1916– Photo Credit: Imperial War Museums, UK https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205297460
Photographer: Ariel Lowe Varges, American, 1890–1972
Lieutenant Commander Ernest Gardiner R.N.V.R. working on the ancient marble memorial plaque praising the virtues of Manius Salarius Sabinus for his benefactions, Photo date: 1916 – Photo Credit: Imperial War Museums, UK https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205265524

In the context of the WWI Salonika campaign (1915–1918), Ariel Lowe Varges’s lens captured more than just Allied operations, it also glimpsed the buried threads of the classical past emerging within the conflict zone. This dual resonance is movingly preserved in three photographs now held by the Imperial War Museums: one records the 1916 discovery of an ancient marble memorial plaque praising the virtues of Manius Salarius Sabinus for his benefactions, another depicts the plaque itself, and a third shows Lieutenant Commander Ernest Gardiner, R.N.V.R., carefully examining its inscription. Together, these images form a unique bridge between Martial Reportage and Archaeological Revelation, testifying to how the upheaval of war could uncover, preserve, and even reframe fragments of history long concealed beneath the surface.

The photographs gain further significance when placed against the wider backdrop of the British Salonica Force’s archaeological work. Under the supervision of Gardiner, a professor at the University of London, systematic excavations were carried out at Karabournaki in Thessaloniki and at Tsaousitsa in Kilkis, revealing tombs and ancient artifacts. Initially stored in the White Tower, where one floor was converted into a “Museum of the British Force”, these finds were later transferred in 1918 to the army headquarters housed in the Papafio Orphanage. In 1919, the collection was shipped to the British Museum, where much of it remains today, though part of it was retained in Thessaloniki and is now held by the Archaeological Museum. Through Varges’s camera, the entanglement of military occupation, archaeological discovery, and cultural heritage are given rare visual form.

Among the finds made during this extraordinary phase of wartime archaeology was the marble memorial plaque of Manius Salarius Sabinus (Μάνιος Σαλάριος Σαβεῖνος), unearthed by the Royal Scottish Fusiliers near Liti in April 1916 while digging defensive trenches of the Birdcage Line. The inscription, dated to AD 121/122 under Hadrian, honors Sabinus, a wealthy landowner of Lete, possibly also a citizen of Thessaloniki, for his repeated generosity during times of famine, when he sold grain to both the local populace and the emperor’s troops at exceptionally low prices. The text itself preserves this civic gratitude in clear terms:

ἡ πόλις Μάνιον Σαλάριον Σαβεῖνον τὸν γυμνασίαρχον καὶ εὐεργέτην
ἐν [σι]-τηνδείαις πλειστάκις παραπεπρακότα τὰ σιτία
τοῖς στρατοῖς τοῦ κυρίου Καίσαρος ἐπ’ εὐτελεστάτοις τιμαῖς …

“The city [honors] Manius Salarius Sabinus, gymnasiarch and benefactor, who many times in times of grain-shortage sold grain to the armies of our lord Caesar at the very lowest prices …”

Praised as gymnasiarch and benefactor, he emerges from the inscription as a civic leader whose actions linked local welfare with imperial military needs. Initially stored in the improvised wartime museum of the White Tower, the plaque was fortunately retained in Greece after the dispersal of the British Salonica Force collection. Today it resides in the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, illustrating how wartime excavations brought to light evidence of past shortages and civic benefaction, resonant with the conditions of Macedonia in the First World War.

The temporary exhibition “ARCHAEOLOGY BEHIND BATTLE LINES. In Thessaloniki during the turbulent years 1912-1922″ took place during the celebrations for the centenary of the city’s liberation and was incorporated into the A.M.Th. actions under the “Thessaloniki, Crossroads of cultures” programme of the Ministry of Culture, Thessaloniki Archaeological Museum, 24 November 2012 – 30 June 2014 https://www.amth.gr/en/exhibitions/temporary/archaeology-behind-battle-lines-thessaloniki-during-turbulent-years-1912-1922?utm_source=chatgpt.com 

Ariel Lowe Varges (1890–1972) was a pioneering American photographer and newsreel cameraman whose career spanned some of the most turbulent events of the early 20th century. Born in Chicago on June 11, 1890, he began as a photographer for the Chicago Examiner before joining William Randolph Hearst’s newspaper empire in New York around 1911. Among the first American still photographers to embrace motion picture cameras, Varges made his mark in 1914 when he filmed the Mexican War and soon after became the first foreign cameraman permitted to cover the war in Serbia, thanks to a connection with Sir Thomas Lipton.

During World War I, Varges served as an official cinematographer with the British Army, documenting campaigns in Salonika, the Middle East, and Mesopotamia. His vivid depictions of frontline conditions were instrumental in shaping how the war was seen by the public. For his contributions, he was made an honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire. After the war, he continued his globe-spanning career, becoming the first foreign cameraman to film Leon Trotsky and later covering conflicts in China and Ethiopia for Hearst newsreels. His adventurous assignments even included aerial cinematography over the pyramids with the Cairo–Baghdad Squadron.

By the 1950s, Varges had transitioned into a leadership role as head of the photographic laboratory for Hearst’s News of the Day newsreel program, retiring in 1952. He died on December 27, 1972, in Norwich, Connecticut, and was buried in Preston Cemetery. Remembered as a trailblazer in war cinematography and newsreel journalism, Varges helped shape modern visual reporting by bringing audiences closer than ever before to world events.

For a Student Activity, inspired by Ariel Lowe Varges’s photographs of the ancient marble memorial plaque praising the virtues of Manius Salarius Sabinus for his benefactions, please… check HERE!

Bibliography: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://ikee.lib.auth.gr/record/286234/files/Xydopoulos%20Euergetes%20AWE.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com and https://shootingthegreatwar.blogspot.com/search?q=Ariel+Varges&fbclid=IwY2xjawL7xP1leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETEyS2dKa2lvV0dTbGFITmc4AR7QWbi9QnOpTIhSeUIPyCnh1r83OdC4VnOGI-z6re858Ge4s2B6A71idjyk1g_aem_z-xs-iAmzHAZK5lxukZcjw

Tomb of Hunting and Fishing

by ArchaeologyArtEducationEtruscan ArtSocial StudiesStudent ActivitiesUncategorizedWorksheets
Etruscan Tomb of Hunting and Fishing, 520-510 BC,Necropoli dei Monterozzi, near Tarquinia, Lazio, Italy Photo Credit: Amalia Spiliakou, April 2025

The Etruscans, a powerful and enigmatic civilization of central Italy, played a vital role in shaping the cultural foundations later adopted by the Romans. Renowned for their elaborate funerary customs, they believed in providing for the dead in ways that reflected both status and the joys of earthly life, leading to the creation of richly decorated tombs that serve as lasting testaments to their artistry and worldview. The Necropoli dei Monterozzi near Tarquinia exemplifies this tradition, as one of the most important burial grounds of the ancient Mediterranean, where hundreds of painted chambers offer a vivid glimpse into Etruscan society. Among these, the Tomb of Hunting and Fishing, dating to around 520–510 BC, stands out for its lively frescoes that celebrate nature, leisure, and the afterlife, making it a masterpiece of Etruscan funerary art.

The Necropoli of Monterozzi – Photo Credit: Xanthippi Glavopoulou

The Necropoli of Monterozzi holds immense archaeological significance as it preserves the largest collection of painted Etruscan tombs, offering unparalleled insight into the beliefs, daily life, and artistic achievements of this ancient culture. Discovered in the early nineteenth century, the site quickly became a focal point for antiquarian interest, with early excavations often driven more by the desire to uncover treasures than by scientific methods. Over time, however, more systematic archaeological approaches have revealed the necropolis’ historical depth, documenting over 6,000 tombs ranging from simple chamber burials to elaborately decorated family vaults. The frescoes, in particular, have transformed scholarly understanding of Etruscan society, as they preserve vibrant scenes of banquets, rituals, and natural landscapes that rarely survive in other contexts, making Monterozzi a cornerstone in the study of pre-Roman Italy.

Etruscan Tomb of Hunting and Fishing, 520-510 BC,Necropoli dei Monterozzi, near Tarquinia, Lazio, Italy – Photo Credit: Amalia Spiliakou, April 2025

The Tomb of Hunting and Fishing, discovered in 1873 during a period of intensive investigation at the Necropoli of Monterozzi, represents one of the most significant finds of late nineteenth-century Etruscan archaeology. Documentation from the time, however, provides only fragmentary information regarding the circumstances of its excavation, the personnel involved, and the precise condition of the monument upon opening. Despite these gaps, contemporary commentators consistently remarked upon the striking preservation of the painted decoration, noting with particular interest the unprecedented imagery of fishermen, hunters, and divers that expanded the known repertoire of Etruscan funerary art. Although anecdotal testimony concerning local responses or early interventions is scarce, the tomb rapidly entered scholarly discourse and has since been recognized as an essential source for understanding the interplay of ritual, daily life, and conceptions of the afterlife in Etruscan culture.

Crucial to the legacy of the Tomb of Hunting and Fishing are the watercolours produced by the artist Gregorio Mariani soon after its discovery. His meticulous reproductions, later published in chromolithograph form, captured the vibrant hues and delicate details of the frescoes at a moment when they were far fresher than today. These images not only provided scholars with reliable records of motifs that have since deteriorated, but also played a vital role in popularizing the tomb’s significance within the wider field of Etruscan studies. Original Mariani watercolours are preserved in the archives of the German Archaeological Institute in Rome, while facsimile reproductions can be found in the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen. In this way, Mariani’s work serves as both an artistic achievement and a scientific tool, bridging the gap between nineteenth-century discovery and modern scholarship.

The Tomb of Hunting and Fishing is a two-chambered burial space whose walls are adorned with some of the most dynamic and evocative frescoes in Etruscan art. The imagery vividly depicts scenes of everyday leisure and subsistence: Dionysian figures dancing in a sacred grove, hunters chasing game, fishermen casting nets, youths diving into clear waters, and birds in flight above lush landscapes.

Gregorio Mariani, Tomba della Caccia e Pesca, Facsimile olio su tela, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek HIN 0091-3 -© Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenaghen; foto Ole Haupt https://journals.openedition.org/mefra/8455
Etruscan Tomb of Hunting and Fishing, 520-510 BC,Necropoli dei Monterozzi, near Tarquinia, Lazio, Italy – Photo Credit: Amalia Spiliakou, April 2025

In the antechamber, the frescoes depict nearly naked figures engaged in what appears to be a Dionysian ritual dance, set within a grove adorned with ribbons, wreaths, mirrors, and cistae. Reclining satyrs holding rhytoi occupy the gable of the entry wall, underscoring the influence of the cult of Dionysus on Etruscan religion and funerary practices. On the back wall, a hunting scene unfolds, with hunters and dogs returning with their quarry through a lush, almost tropical landscape filled with vibrant vegetation. This juxtaposition of ritual and daily activity illustrates both spiritual and worldly dimensions, highlighting the Etruscans’ belief in the continuation of life’s pleasures beyond death.

Gregorio Mariani, Tomba della Caccia e Pesca, Facsimile olio su tela, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek HIN 0091-3 -© Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenaghen; foto Ole Haupt https://journals.openedition.org/mefra/8455

In the main burial chamber, the frescoes shift focus from activity to celebration, illustrating scenes that suggest both ritual and leisure. Youths are depicted diving and swimming in carefully delineated waters, while birds and aquatic creatures populate the surrounding environment, emphasizing a harmonious interaction between humans and nature. The figures are arranged in continuous sequences that convey narrative flow, as if time itself is unfolding across the walls. Here, the painter employs brighter pigments and more elaborate detailing, particularly in the depiction of musculature, drapery, and facial expressions, giving the scenes a remarkable sense of immediacy and life. Together, the two chambers combine to create a vision of an idealized Etruscan existence, where work, sport, and the pleasures of the natural world coexist with an underlying sense of spiritual continuity.

The composition is notable for its sense of movement and rhythm, as figures and animals are arranged in continuous, flowing sequences that suggest both narrative and ritual significance. Bright ochres, reds, and blues bring the scenes to life, while careful attention to proportion and perspective conveys depth and realism unusual for the period. Beyond their aesthetic appeal, the frescoes offer a profound insight into Etruscan conceptions of the afterlife, suggesting a vision in which the pleasures and activities of earthly existence continue beyond death, making the tomb not only a funerary monument but also a celebration of life itself.

For a Student Activity inspired by the frescoes in the Antechamber of the Tomb of Hunting and Fishing, please… Check HERE!

Bibliography: Abundance of Life: Etruscan Wall Painting, by Stephan Steingräber https://books.google.gr/books?id=K25ydBTGhbkC&pg=PA95&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false and Anni 1880: Tomba della Caccia e Pesca e Tomba degli Auguri https://journals.openedition.org/mefra/8455

Head of Aphrodite of the Aspremont-Lynden/Arles type 

by Ancient Greek ArtArchaeologyArtByzantiumEarly Christian ArtEducationGreek ArtRoman ArtSculptureSocial StudiesStudent ActivitiesWorksheets
Head of Aphrodite of the Aspremont-Lynden/Arles type, 1st c. AD copy of an original 4th century BC work by Praxiteles, Marble, possibly Parian (Marathi), Height: 32 cm, National Archaeological Museum, Athens, Greece
https://blogs.getty.edu/iris/the-christian-empire-that-grew-from-classical-roots/

The Head of Aphrodite of the Aspremont-Lynden/Arles type, housed in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, offers a compelling glimpse into the classical ideals of beauty and divinity shaped by the legacy of Praxiteles. As a copy of a lost 4th-century BC original, possibly the first known depiction of Aphrodite with a nude upper body, this sculptural type reflects the evolving representation of the goddess, bridging the serene sensuality of the Aphrodite of Knidos with the more voluptuous forms of later works like the Aphrodite of Melos. The surviving head, now divorced from its torso, carries echoes of a refined, yet idealized femininity that would influence Roman and Renaissance aesthetics alike. Its later restoration by François Girardon, under the patronage of Louis XIV, introduced symbolic elements like the mirror and apple, both deeply charged with mythological meaning, underscoring not just Aphrodite’s divine allure, but also the enduring power of classical art to adapt to new cultural narratives. An incised cross on her forehead, likely added in the early Christian era, marks a moment when pagan imagery was recontextualized within a new religious worldview.

Carved from Parian marble, the Head of Aphrodite once belonged to an over-life-size statue of a clothed Aphrodite, though some scholars have suggested it may instead portray the famed courtesan Phryne due to its individualized features. The face, turned slightly to the right, is serene and harmonious, with soft, fleshy contours and delicately incised features: a smooth triangular forehead framed by parted curls, a broad nose (now broken), full lips, and a rounded chin. A thick bun gathers the hair at the nape, secured by a wide band. The eyes, beneath gently curved brows, show signs of deliberate Christian-era defacement, likely part of an effort to “close” the eyes and “silence” the mouth. A small, incised cross on the forehead reinforces this reinterpretation of pagan art within a Christian context, suggesting the statue may have been reused as a sacred image. Despite the damage, most notably to the nose and facial extremities, the head remains in relatively good condition and serves as a compelling testament to both the endurance of classical ideals and their transformation in later religious and cultural landscapes.

Head of Aphrodite of the Aspremont-Lynden/Arles type, 1st c. AD copy of an original 4th century BC work by Praxiteles, Marble, possibly Parian (Marathi), Height: 32 cm, National Archaeological Museum, Athens, Greece
https://x.com/ArysPan/status/1513155769000247301/photo/1

The statue’s discovery near the Clock of Andronikos Kyrrhestes in the Roman Agora of Athens further grounds it in the layered urban fabric of ancient Athens, where temples, markets, and later churches coexisted and often repurposed one another’s remains. This setting, close to the sanctuary of Aphrodite and Eros on the north slope of the Acropolis, reinforces the likelihood that the statue originally served a votive or cultic function. The artistic style—marked by its naturalistic modeling, graceful asymmetry, and subtle anatomical details like the “Venus rings” on the neck—embodies the Praxitelian ideal of ethereal beauty softened by human warmth. In this way, the head is not only a remnant of a once-complete devotional image but also a rare survivor of artistic transitions: from Classical to Hellenistic, pagan to Christian, and ultimately, from sacred object to museum artifact.

For a Student Activity, please… Check HERE

Bibliography: https://blogs.getty.edu/iris/the-christian-empire-that-grew-from-classical-roots/ and https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010277986

Kylix with a School Boy

by Ancient Greek ArtArchaeologyArtGreek ArtPotterySocial StudiesStudent ActivitiesWorksheets
Terracotta kylix (drinking cup), Attributed to the Painter of Munich 2660, ca. 460 BC, Terracotta, Red Figure, 7×20 cm, the MET, NY, USA https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/250548

On September 11, as Greek students step into classrooms to begin the 2025–26 academic year, it feels fitting to look back, far back, to what might have been another ‘first day of school’ in antiquity. The Kylix with a School Boy, attributed to the Painter of Munich 2660 and now housed at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, portrays a young boy carrying his writing tablet. More than two millennia later, his composed walk to class still speaks to a timeless truth: the anticipation, curiosity, and quiet rituals of learning are as old as civilization itself.

The Terracotta Kylix with Schoolboys, attributed to the Painter of Munich 2660 by Beazley, an unknown Greek red-figure painter of the early Classical period, offers a vivid glimpse into the routines and playfulness of ancient education. On the interior, a single schoolboy walks purposefully, carrying a hinged writing tablet by its handle, the tying string carefully rendered by the artist. Dressed in a himation and crowned with a wreath, he embodies the dignity of the student role, yet also the ritualized formality of Athenian youth. The precision in depicting the tablet’s details reminds us of the centrality of writing and record-keeping in Greek learning, even in the mid-5th century BC.

The exterior scenes expand the narrative into small, lively vignettes. On one side, two boys, one holding a manuscript roll, the other a tablet, approach a seated “teacher” grasping a stick, who appears identical in age and attire to his pupils, hinting that this may be a game of role reversal. On the other, a standing ‘teacher’ offers a short branch, perhaps a symbolic prize, to the head of the class, while another boy waits patiently with his walking stick. Mantles and wreaths adorn all the figures, blurring distinctions between play and instruction. In both scenes, the kylix captures not only the tools and gestures of ancient schooling but also the social interplay, imitation, and camaraderie that have always been part of the learning experience.

The Metropolitan Museum Kylix with Schoolboys reflects an aesthetic of modest charm rather than meticulous precision. Its scenes, while simply composed, convey a quiet narrative warmth: the boys, neatly draped in their himatia and crowned with wreaths, are rendered as polite, attentive pupils, slightly awed by their teacher. The painter, a successor to the tradition of Douris, specialized in cups showing boys and youths in calm, restrained poses, pleasing works that may lack distinction but exude an approachable grace. Characteristic details mark his hand: the small dot of the iris that often touches neither eyelid, the gentle downward curve of the mouth, the short, rhythmic strokes shaping the hair around face and neck, the continuous line defining the fingertips, and the single sweeping curve for the ankle. Though not executed with the highest refinement, the kylix’s aesthetic lies in its unpretentious storytelling, making it a quietly endearing example of early Classical vase painting.

For a Student Activity inspired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art Kylix, please… Check HERE!

Bibliography: Red-Figured Athenian Vases in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Vol. 1 and 2, by Gisela M. A. Richter, Pages: 136-137 https://books.google.gr/books?id=M85NBgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false and https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/250548

The Elderly Couple from Voltera

by ArchaeologyArtEtruscan ArtMuseumsSculptureSocial StudiesStudent ActivitiesWorksheets
Etruscan Urn of an Elderly Couple, 1st century BC, Terracotta, Museo Etrusco Guarnacci, Volterra, Italy – Photo Credit: Amalia Spiliakou, April 2025

Among the most evocative remnants of Etruscan funerary culture are the terracotta urns that once housed the ashes of the deceased, vessels not only of the body but of memory and identity. Urns featuring reclining couples engaged in a perpetual banquet scene offer a powerful glimpse into Etruscan beliefs about death and the afterlife. These intimate portrayals, often found in burial contexts, reflect a society that viewed death not as an end but as a continuation of life’s pleasures and social bonds. The Elderly Couple from Volterra, a remarkable terracotta lid housed in the Voltera Museo Etrusco Guarnacci, stands as a moving example of this tradition. Depicting a serene, aging pair side by side in eternal repose, the work speaks volumes about affection, legacy, and the Etruscan celebration of human connection beyond the grave.

I visited the Museo Etrusco Guarnacci in April 2025, drawn by its reputation as one of the oldest public museums in Europe, and I was not disappointed. The museum holds a quiet, contemplative atmosphere that feels perfectly suited to its long history and the ancient civilization it celebrates. Housed in the elegant Palazzo Desideri-Tangassi since 1877, the museum is the result of the extraordinary efforts of Mario Guarnacci, an 18th-century Volterran abbot and historian whose passion for antiquity helped preserve the city’s rich Etruscan heritage. Guarnacci’s vision was unusually forward-thinking: he not only amassed a remarkable collection but donated it to the public, ensuring that Volterra’s archaeological treasures remained in local hands and accessible to future generations.

Walking through the galleries, I was struck by the contrast between the museum’s two “souls.” Some rooms retain their 19th-century atmosphere, where rows of urns and shelves of artifacts sit densely arranged according to material or motif, reflecting a historical approach to display. Other sections have been redesigned to offer a modern, more interpretive experience, with carefully selected pieces presented along a chronological path that brings the Etruscan story into clearer focus. The upper floor, dedicated to Hellenistic Volterra, captures the artistic and cultural vitality of the city just before its integration into the Roman world, while the ground floor offers an elegant introduction to its earlier phases, from Villanovan to Classical.

What makes the Museo Guarnacci so special is how naturally it fits within the fabric of Volterra itself. This is a city where history isn’t hidden behind glass, it’s embedded in its walls, streets, and rhythm of life. The museum doesn’t just preserve Etruscan culture, it reinforces the living dialogue between past and present that defines Volterra’s character. Its locally sourced collection, displayed in a building that reflects layers of the city’s own evolution, makes the museum feel less like a separate institution and more like a thoughtful extension of the city’s identity. Visiting it was not just an exploration of ancient artifacts, but of the cultural values that continue to shape Volterra today.

The lid of the so-called Urn of the Elderly Spouses, now one of the most iconic pieces in the Museo Etrusco Guarnacci in Volterra, offers a rare and moving glimpse into Etruscan funerary art. Discovered in 1743 in a chamber tomb at the Ulimeto necropolis, the 41 cm in height terracotta piece, depicts an elderly married couple reclining together on a banquet couch, a klinai, a motif deeply rooted in Etruscan traditions of commemorating the dead as participants in eternal feasting. Intriguingly, both hollow figures feature large openings at the top of their heads, possibly designed for the insertion of ashes, raising the possibility that this piece served not merely as a lid but as the urn itself. The male figure rests in a semi-recumbent pose, while the woman, unusually, lies prone and raises her face toward him, her missing forearm suggesting she may once have been shown in a tender, caressing gesture. Both are dressed in tunics and cloaks, with the woman’s garment sleeveless, and the sculptor emphasized signs of age, wrinkles, sagging cheeks, thinning hair, imbuing the scene with poignant realism. Likely commissioned in the 1st century BC, the work draws on older iconography to evoke dignity, memory, and shared legacy.

Etruscan Urn of an Elderly Couple, 1st century BC, Terracotta, Museo Etrusco Guarnacci, Volterra, Italy – Photo Credit: Amalia Spiliakou, April 2025

Aesthetically, the urn stands apart for its expressive force and quiet originality. Unlike the more standardized examples of Etruscan cinerary sculpture, this piece refuses idealization in favor of a strikingly human portrayal of aging bodies and enduring companionship. The deeply etched facial features, furrowed brows, veined hands, softened flesh, reflect not only technical skill but also a sensitive awareness of the passage of time. Yet, scholars suggest that despite this vivid realism, the work was not intended as a literal portrait of a known Volterran couple. Instead, it follows a stylistic convention of the period: a generalized “type” marked by apparent naturalism, crafted to evoke emotional resonance rather than exact likeness. The result is a powerful blend of personal and symbolic, an image of love, memory, and the continuity of human bonds beyond death. Set within the museum’s broader collection, the Urn of the Elderly Spouses captures the spirit of Etruscan funerary belief while offering a universal meditation on age, intimacy, and the desire to be remembered together.

For a Student Activity, inspired by the Voltera Urn, please… Check HERE!

Bibliography: https://volterratur.it/en/poi/guarnacci-etruscan-museum/ and https://www.facebook.com/groups/archeologyandcivilizations/posts/9143041642455945/

Patriarch Joseph II of Constantinople

by 15th century ArtArtByzantiumItalian Renaissance ArtRenaissanceRenaissance ArtSocial StudiesStudent ActivitiesWorksheets
Tomb of Joseph II Patriarch of Constantinople, Florentine sculptor, 1440, Santa Maria Novella, Florence
Painted Portrait of Patriarch Joseph II of Constantinople, 1590-92, Santa Maria Novella, Florence, Italy
Photo credit: Amalia Spiliakou, April 2025

Patriarch Joseph II of Constantinople was a pivotal figure in the history of the Eastern Orthodox Church, most notably for his participation in the Council of Ferrara-Florence (1438–1439), a major attempt to reconcile the long-standing schism between the Eastern and Western Christian churches. As the spiritual leader of the Eastern delegation, he played a crucial role in the theological dialogues aimed at achieving ecclesiastical unity. Though the union was short-lived, his involvement marked a significant moment of engagement between East and West. Patriarch Joseph II passed away during the council in Florence in 1439, and fittingly, his tomb remains in the Dominican church of Santa Maria Novella, an enduring symbol of his commitment to bridging divided faiths.

Born around 1360, likely in Constantinople, he was of noble origin and possibly related, on his father’s side, to the Bulgarian royal family. Before rising to the patriarchate, Joseph became a monk on Mount Athos and later served as the Metropolitan of Ephesus. In 1416, he was elected Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, leading the Orthodox Church during a time of both spiritual and geopolitical crisis as the Byzantine Empire faced increasing pressure from the advancing Ottoman Turks.

A staunch supporter of church unity, Joseph II was a central participant in the Council of Ferrara-Florence (1438–1445), convened to heal the East-West Schism between the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches. His delegation sought Western military aid in exchange for theological concessions, a strategy driven by the empire’s desperate political situation. Despite his ill health, Joseph played a vital role in the negotiations, advocating dialogue and reconciliation. He died in Florence on June 10, 1439, before the council concluded, and was buried with honor in the church of Santa Maria Novella. His tomb remains there today, a rare and poignant symbol of his commitment to Christian unity and the enduring legacy of his leadership in a time of upheaval.

Although no literary or theological works by Patriarch Joseph II of Constantinople are known to have survived, his contemporaries spoke highly of his intellect and character. Ambrogio Traversari, in a letter dated February 20, 1438, praised him as venerable, so refined, with common sense, experience in life, and added, in my judgment, I think that today one could not find his like in all of Greece [Byzantium], noting that their conversation and the patriarch’s demeanor arouses respect. In Personalities of the Council of Florence, and Other Essays, Joseph Gill echoes this view, portraying Joseph II as a spiritually and intellectually vibrant leader despite his old age and deteriorating health. Nearly eight years old and suffering from heart disease, the Patriarch nonetheless demonstrated keen insight, prudent judgment, and steadfast dedication to the cause of church union until his death in Florence, shortly before the council concluded.

The Tomb of Patriarch Joseph II of Constantinople in the church of Santa Maria Novella, Florence, is a striking monument that reflects both historical reverence and artistic devotion. Created by a Florentine sculptor around 1440, the tomb commemorates the Eastern Patriarch who died in Florence during the Council of Florence, a major attempt at reunifying the Eastern and Western Churches. A later painted portrait (1590–92) complements the sculptural work, offering a vivid image of the patriarch. Ambrogio Traversari, a key figure in the council and admirer of Joseph II, described him with deep respect… The father is old, and, like his age, his grey hair, long beard and face make him a venerable figure to all who see him. This description is poignantly echoed in both the tomb and the painting, which together convey the spiritual dignity and serene wisdom of a man who symbolized unity and holiness at a crucial moment in church history. https://www.scribd.com/document/688389117/GILL-J-Personalities-of-the-Council-of-Florence-Joseph-II

For a Student Activity, please… Check HERE!

Amarna Canopic Jar

by ArchaeologyArtEgyptEgyptian ArtSocial StudiesStudent ActivitiesWorksheets
Canopic Jar with a Lid Depicting a Queen, New Kingdom, Amarna Period, Dynasty 18, reign of Akhenaten, ca. 1349–1330 BC, from Upper Egypt, Valley of the Kings, Tomb KV 55, Travertine (Egyptian alabaster), blue glass, obsidian, unidentified stone, Height of Jar and Lid: 53.2 cm, the MET, NY, USA https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/544689

The Amarna Canopic Jar presented here, created for a funerary purpose, bears a lid adorned with a face so exquisitely detailed that it showcases the skill of a master artist, as if it were a public portrait. The youthful features—marked by a long, slender nose, almond-shaped eyes, and a delicately sculpted mouth—reflect an idealized image intended to endure in the eternal afterlife, regardless of the owner’s true age at death. Stylistically, the jar aligns with the artistic innovations of Akhenaten’s later reign, a period defined by the relocation of the royal court to Amarna. Yet, the mystery lingers: alterations made to the jar and lid in antiquity obscure the identity of the original owner. Who is she? The question haunts this artifact, a silent testament to both artistic mastery and the enigmatic nature of its history.

The enigmatic Canopic Jar, discovered in 1907, offers a fascinating glimpse into the royal intrigues of Akhenaten’s court, its ownership shrouded in layers of mystery and historical debate. Was it created for Queen Tiye, the formidable matriarch of the Amarna dynasty? Or perhaps Queen Nefertiti, renowned for her beauty and influence? Some have speculated it belonged to Queen Kiya, Akhenaten’s favored secondary wife, whose identity is subtly suggested by faint traces of hieroglyphs and the distinctive Nubian wig. Others propose Princess Merytaten, Akhenaten’s eldest daughter and later consort. For a time, even Akhenaten himself was considered a possibility. This confusion underscores the complex dynamics of the royal family, whose intertwined stories continue to captivate and confound modern scholars.

Canopic Jar with a Lid Depicting a Queen, New Kingdom, Amarna Period, Dynasty 18, reign of Akhenaten, ca. 1349–1330 BC, from Upper Egypt, Valley of the Kings, Tomb KV 55, Travertine (Egyptian alabaster), blue glass, obsidian, unidentified stone, Height of Jar and Lid: 53.2 cm, the MET, NY, USA https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/544689

Whoever the original owner portrayed on the lid of the Canopic Jar in the MET was, she is undoubtedly a striking representation of one of the royal women of Amarna, embodying the elegance and refinement characteristic of this unique artistic period. Her features, including a long, slender nose, almond-shaped eyes, and a sensuous mouth, reflect the naturalistic yet idealized aesthetic that defined Amarna art. She wears the Nubian wig, a hairstyle of overlapping curls reserved for adults and favored by Akhenaten’s female relatives, emphasizing her status and maturity. At the center of her forehead, a hole marks the original placement of a separately carved rearing cobra, or uraeus, whose tail elegantly curves across the top of the wig. This royal insignia, exclusively worn by kings and queens, reinforces her elevated position within the court. The fusion of idealized beauty with symbolic details like the uraeus and the wig encapsulates the distinctive style and symbolic language of the Amarna period.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Canopic Jar was discovered in 1907 within Tomb KV55 in the Valley of the Kings, one of Egypt’s most enigmatic burial sites. This tomb contained a mixture of funerary artifacts, including items inscribed for Queen Tiye, magical bricks bearing Akhenaten’s name, and four canopic jars, among them, the one in question, alongside a wooden coffin likely crafted for Kiya. It is believed that, to protect these items, Tutankhamun ordered their transfer from Akhenaten’s plundered Amarna tomb to Thebes. Subsequently, Kiya’s jars, and coffin may have been repurposed for another royal family member’s burial.

Canopic Jar with a Lid Depicting a Queen, New Kingdom, Amarna Period, Dynasty 18, reign of Akhenaten, ca. 1349–1330 BC, from Upper Egypt, Valley of the Kings, Tomb KV 55, Travertine (Egyptian alabaster), blue glass, obsidian, unidentified stone, Height of Jar and Lid: 53.2 cm, the MET, NY, USA https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/544689

Tomb KV55’s entrance is cut into the floor of the main valley between the resthouse and the tomb of Rameses IX (KV 6). The tomb comprises an entryway followed by a single corridor leading directly into the burial chamber and its side chamber. Marks on the walls indicate that, after the entrance and stairs were cut, the entrance was enlarged, the ceiling raised, and the number of stairs increased.

The tomb’s discovery and the subsequent analysis of its contents have provided significant insights into the complex burial practices and political dynamics of the late 18th Dynasty, particularly concerning the Amarna period and its aftermath. The relocation and reuse of funerary equipment highlight the period’s turbulent transitions and the efforts to preserve royal legacies amid shifting religious and political landscapes.

For a Student Activity, titled ‘Guardians of the Afterlife – Understanding the Role and Use of Egyptian Canopic Jars’ inspired by the Amarna period Canopic Jar in the MET, please… Check HERE!

Bibliography: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/544689 and https://thebanmappingproject.com/tombs/kv-55-tiye-or-akhenaten