![]() ![]() It was found in fragments, so even as we begin our studies, we know that it was heavily restored in the nineteenth century. Rich burials in the region almost always included a large volute krater (you may recall the trio presented in our Dangerous Perfection exhibition), but this is a particularly grand example, measuring 1.60 meters in height. The krater was discovered by 1848 in the area of Altamura, in southeast Italy. Both of those projects resulted in exhibitions, and we intend to put the vase on view once the conservation work has been completed. Regular Getty-watchers will remember the statue of Apollo from Pompeii, or the monumental Tiberius from Herculaneum. ![]() The vase is on loan from the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli, and is the latest in a series of fruitful conservation projects that we’ve undertaken with our colleagues in Naples. (Note: The fabric at the base is a temporary measure to guarantee stability during transport.) National Archaeological Museum of Naples – Conservation and Restoration Laboratory. By permission of the Italian Ministry of Heritage and Culture and Tourism. National Archaeological Museum of Naples, 81666. Each spring, as the earth returned to life, some Greeks observed a sacred ritual in which the story of Demeter and Persephone was enacted.Colossal Krater from Altamura, about 350 B.C., Greek, made in Apulia, South Italy. To ancient Greeks, the return of Persephone from the underworld symbolized the return of life in the spring. Because Persephone ate the pomegranate seeds she had to spend some of her time in the underworld, so from that moment on she can spend only six months out of the year with her mother on earth and the other six months she is destined to spend in the realm of Hades, in the underworld. Hades did not want to let Persephone go, so he forced Persephone to eat a pomegranate seed, the food of the dead in ancient Greek mythology. Zeus intervenes and commands Hades to return Persephone. Demeter’s grief causes the earth to die – crops fail, and famine comes upon the land. Demeter went in search of her daughter, but she was unable to find her. Myth has it that Hades abducted Persephone as she was gathering flowers by a stream. He is the son of the titans Cronus and Rhea and the brother of Zeus. Hades is the god of the underworld, also known as Pluto or Pluton (meaning the “wealthy one”). Persephone, much like her mother Demeter, is also associated with vegetation and grain and they were were the central figures of the Eleusinian Mysteries, which promised the initiated a beter life after death. ![]() She is the daughter of Demeter and Zeus, goddess of the earth. Persephone is the goddess of spring (the season) and also the Queen of the underworld. At its core, this is a dark mythological story involving an abduction and most likely a rape. This myth not only shows the strong bond between mothers and daughters but it most importantly tries to explain, through mythology, the origin of the seasons. One of the most interesting myths in Greek mythology is the myth of Demeter (Demetra) and Persephone. What Was Greece Like After the War of Independence?.The Impact of Ancient Greek Folklore and Hellenism on Contemporary Gaming.The Enduring Appeal of Greece’s Temples to the Gods. ![]()
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