DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.2533#0192
THE ARGIVE STYLE: ALABASTRA AND ARYBALLOI
155
Alabastra.
That the alabastron had its origin during this period and not during the Corinthian
seems fairly evident. What caused its growth is a matter of doubt. It is possible that
it may have developed from the lekythos, since the alabastron resembles strongly a leky-
thos minus a neck and handle, turned upside down. The fragments of this shape were
very numerous, especially those with a scale pattern, but few were preserved whole.
Two types are represented.
1. Form Berl. Cat. v. 109, without foot.
2. Form Pottier, Vases du Louvre, pi. 41 E 423, with foot.
Type 1.
Three varieties of ornamentation are seen.
a. Simple linear decoration. Leaf rosette around neck and base, bands, checkered bands on
body. Red lines applied freely. Cf. Pottier, Vases, pi. xxxix. E 32.
b. Same decoration except for addition of one animal frieze, sometimes more, around the base.1
Incised lines are not used on the animals at all. The fragments were numerous, and one vase
(height, 0.074 m.) was preserved almost complete.
c. Body of vase almost entirely covered with a scale pattern, large or small, as in Pottier, Vases,
pi. xxxix. E 309, 319. A red dot is applied to alternate scales. This is the commonest type, half
a dozen vases being found intact and numerous fragments.
The animal frieze occasionally occurs together with the scale pattern.
Type 2.
Only a few scattered fragments of this type were preserved. Half of one vase was
preserved with three animal friezes, very roughly drawn, no incised lines being used.
A ryballoi.
Although the aryballos is a thoroughly characteristic shape of the Corinthian stvle, a
number of them were found at the Heraeum which differed entirely from the Corinthian
aryballi in point of technique and had a decoration purely linear in character. This would
seem to warrant their belonging to the Argive period, towards the beginning of Class III.
All show the use of applied color in an advanced stage, and this, together with the form, is
more in favor of their connection with the later period of the Argive style than the earlier.
The earliest instance seems to be an aryballos of coarse red clay, with black glaze on
the shoulder. The rest of the vase is entirely covered with a white wash, almost entirely
worn aAvay, with no traces of other decoration. No case of this peculiarity can be found
in Corinthian vases; we have already seen it on Mycenaean vases. Cf. p. 93.
Fig. 92. Height, 0.07 m. Neck and handle restored. Black glaze over all, burnt red in places.
On body broad band of dark red color applied, bounded above and below by
two narrow bands inclosing row of dots applied in white.
This type seems fairly common. There are similar examples in
the British Museum (A 1028, from Kameiros), Naples (Rac. Cum.), i
and three at Syracuse from Megara Hyblaea (Tombs 784, 941, 980). K
Other vases showed either a single broad band of applied red, or a *
red band with a smaller white band on each side. One fragment was
found of an aryballos which was divided by incised lines with gore-
shaped divisions (like a child's leather ball), the gores being colored
alternately red, yellow, and black.
Specimens precisely similar are in the British Museum (A 1027, 1031).
1 Cf. the alabastra from Orchomenos. B. C. H. XIX. (1895), p. 192, figs. 16, 17.
Fig. 92.
155
Alabastra.
That the alabastron had its origin during this period and not during the Corinthian
seems fairly evident. What caused its growth is a matter of doubt. It is possible that
it may have developed from the lekythos, since the alabastron resembles strongly a leky-
thos minus a neck and handle, turned upside down. The fragments of this shape were
very numerous, especially those with a scale pattern, but few were preserved whole.
Two types are represented.
1. Form Berl. Cat. v. 109, without foot.
2. Form Pottier, Vases du Louvre, pi. 41 E 423, with foot.
Type 1.
Three varieties of ornamentation are seen.
a. Simple linear decoration. Leaf rosette around neck and base, bands, checkered bands on
body. Red lines applied freely. Cf. Pottier, Vases, pi. xxxix. E 32.
b. Same decoration except for addition of one animal frieze, sometimes more, around the base.1
Incised lines are not used on the animals at all. The fragments were numerous, and one vase
(height, 0.074 m.) was preserved almost complete.
c. Body of vase almost entirely covered with a scale pattern, large or small, as in Pottier, Vases,
pi. xxxix. E 309, 319. A red dot is applied to alternate scales. This is the commonest type, half
a dozen vases being found intact and numerous fragments.
The animal frieze occasionally occurs together with the scale pattern.
Type 2.
Only a few scattered fragments of this type were preserved. Half of one vase was
preserved with three animal friezes, very roughly drawn, no incised lines being used.
A ryballoi.
Although the aryballos is a thoroughly characteristic shape of the Corinthian stvle, a
number of them were found at the Heraeum which differed entirely from the Corinthian
aryballi in point of technique and had a decoration purely linear in character. This would
seem to warrant their belonging to the Argive period, towards the beginning of Class III.
All show the use of applied color in an advanced stage, and this, together with the form, is
more in favor of their connection with the later period of the Argive style than the earlier.
The earliest instance seems to be an aryballos of coarse red clay, with black glaze on
the shoulder. The rest of the vase is entirely covered with a white wash, almost entirely
worn aAvay, with no traces of other decoration. No case of this peculiarity can be found
in Corinthian vases; we have already seen it on Mycenaean vases. Cf. p. 93.
Fig. 92. Height, 0.07 m. Neck and handle restored. Black glaze over all, burnt red in places.
On body broad band of dark red color applied, bounded above and below by
two narrow bands inclosing row of dots applied in white.
This type seems fairly common. There are similar examples in
the British Museum (A 1028, from Kameiros), Naples (Rac. Cum.), i
and three at Syracuse from Megara Hyblaea (Tombs 784, 941, 980). K
Other vases showed either a single broad band of applied red, or a *
red band with a smaller white band on each side. One fragment was
found of an aryballos which was divided by incised lines with gore-
shaped divisions (like a child's leather ball), the gores being colored
alternately red, yellow, and black.
Specimens precisely similar are in the British Museum (A 1027, 1031).
1 Cf. the alabastra from Orchomenos. B. C. H. XIX. (1895), p. 192, figs. 16, 17.
Fig. 92.