Geometric Pitcher: Swans
Swan Painter (Greek, Attic, Late Geometric Ib-IIa)
c. 740–730 BCE
Medium
ceramic
Dimensions
h. 36.2 cm
Classification
Ceramic
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Dudley P. Allen Fund
Accession Number
1924.259
About this artwork
A common shape in the Late Geometric period, the pitcher often attains large dimensions, offering the painter multiple zones for decoration. Here, standing leaves encircle the shoulder, while the neck and body bear wide bands with alternating squares of swans and swastikas. Also known as a hooked cross, the swastika appears frequently as a decorative motif in Greek Geometric pottery, without any clear meaning. The swans, though somewhat abstracted to modern eyes, likely represent one of many wat...