Late Corinthian Column Krater with Columns

This column-krater was made to mix wine and water at symposia. In the Corinthian black-figure technique, figures are painted in glossy slip, then detailed by incisions and touches of added red or purple. The decoration marches in bands: lions, panthers, goats, and sphinxes separated by neat borders, with dotted rosettes scattered to fill the clay ground. The distinctive handles rise from the shoulder like little columns to meet the flat rim, giving the shape its modern name. Vessels like this traveled widely to Etruria, where they furnished elite banquets and tombs. The piece captures the period’s love of pattern and rhythm—ornament that moves around the bowl as guests move around the room.