The Art Of Libation In Classical Athens

Download or read book The Art of Libation in Classical Athens written by Milette Gaifman and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This ... volume presents an innovative look at the imagery of libations, the most commonly depicted ritual in ancient Greece, and how it engaged viewers in religious performance. In a libation, liquid (water, wine, milk, oil, or honey) was poured from a vessel such as a jug or a bowl onto the ground, an altar, or another surface. Libations were made on occasions like banquets, sacrifices, oath-taking, departures to war, and visitations to tombs, and their iconography provides essential insight into religious and social life in 5th-century BC Athens. Scenes depicting the ritual often involved beholders directly, a statue's gaze might establish the onlooker as a fellow participant, or painted vases could draw parallels between human practices and acts of gods or heroes. Illustrated with a broad range of examples, including the Caryatids at the Acropolis, the Parthenon Frieze, Attic red-figure pottery, and funerary sculpture, this ... book demonstrates the power of Greek art to transcend the boundaries between visual representation and everyday experience"--Publisher's description.