Red-Figure Janiform Kantharos (Two-Sided Head-Shaped Drinking Cup): Satyr and African
Class K (The Toronto Class)
c. 470–460 BCE
Medium
ceramic
Dimensions
19.6 × 17.2 cm · diameter of base 8.5 cm
Classification
Ceramic
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
John L. Severance Fund
Accession Number
1979.69
Tags
gender unknown
About this artwork
Combining two mold-made faces beneath a pair of vertical handles and a flaring, wheel-made lip, this unusual drinking cup is a variation of the kantharos, a vessel favored by the wine god Dionysos. A snub nose and equine ears identify the satyr, a relatively common type on such vessels. The glossy black face and red hair on the other side are more unusual, apparently meant to show an older African man, with white beard and eyebrows, and wrinkles around the eyes.