Geometric Neck-Handled Amphora (Storage Vessel): Prothesis (Laying out of Corpse), Mourners, Chariots
Medium
ceramic
Dimensions
h. 60 cm
Classification
Ceramic
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Accession Number
1927.6
Tags
male
About this artwork
This neck-amphora bears multiple forms of decoration related to funerary ritual. On the neck panels, mourners beat their heads or tear out their hair. Some surround a bier, a platform where the body of the deceased lies beneath a checkered cloth. Further down, a procession of two-horse chariots moves around the vase, whether headed to the cemetery or the battlefield. The snakes applied to the handles, neck, and rim may all allude to the underworld.