Column Krater (Mixing Vessel) with Boar Hunt and Wedding Procession

Wine in the ancient world was strong and customarily drunk diluted with water. At a formal men's banquet (the symposion), one guest was in charge of the mixing, instructing servers to add wine if conversation flagged and water if guests began to fall asleep or became rowdy. "Krater" is the ancient Greek word for a large bowl with handles used to mix wine and water. Pictures of symposia often show a krater in the center of the room, adorned with garlands to honor the god Dionysos for his gift of wine. Archaeologists call the shape of this vessel a column krater, because the handles resemble two vertical columns supporting a platform.During the seventh and early sixth centuries BCE, when this krater was made, Corinth was the most important city-state in Greece. Corinthian merchants shipped goods all around the Mediterranean; this krater is said to have been found in Etruria (the region in central Italy occupied by the Etruscans, see 1978.22 and 1982.134). The importance of this krater is obvious from its large size. The lower frieze is painted with panthers alternating with deer and goats. Mythological sirens and griffins appear on and below the handles. The upper frieze is unusual because it illustrates not one but two narratives a boar hunt on one side and a wedding procession on the other. Similar vase paintings include names written next to some figures, so the scenes may illustrate popular myths the Calydonian boar hunt (see also 1928.204) and the fateful marriage of Thetis and Peleus, or of Helen and Paris. Using lively poses, gushing blood, and dying hunters and dogs, the painter conveys the terrors of the wild and the bravery of the hunters. The stately poses and ornate clothing of the wedding guests show the opposite side of life: the blessings of peace and civilization.