Oinochoe Handle

Oinochoe Handle

Oinochoe is a wine jug considered as a critical form of the Greek pottery. Despite the presence of many types of Oinochoe handles, Sir John Beazley differentiated ten types. The handle may be decorated or usually undecorated. They typically have one handle located at the back and sometimes may include the trefoil mouth. There is also a pouring spout used for removing any liquid found inside. The size of the pouring spout usually varies where some can be twenty-five centimeters tall. The size can be held comfortably and poured by using one hand. The Greek-speaking people made the handle. Therefore, the oinochoe is one of the typical Greek shapes that are in existence today. The mouth of the handle can be trefoil or round. The body is made slender, and the shoulder made to be offset of the continuous curve from the foot to the mouth.

Additionally, the handle can be low or high. The existing small vase usually referred to as a mug, has no foot and one handle. It is one of the main variants of oinochoe. The handle is known for pouring wine and ladling. It would also be used for the grave offering. The handle sometimes used for drinking during the athletic festival and small gifts for children who were attending the Choes festival.

Oinochoe handle was authored by Beryl Barr, who was an undergraduate from the college of Mount Holyoke. He studies painting with Corrado Marcarelli. She lived in New York City when she received her M.A in painting from California. Together with her husband, they started a college (College Art Study), which was considered as a comprehensive program aimed at ensuring that art would be taken to another level. After over fifty years, they awarded students enrolled in the university academic credit for their choice of studying CASA. In her work, she continuously used Clasiscla Archeology in the artwork to ensure that information was clear to her readers. The many articles published have appeared on the European and American scholarly journals and included in influential publications. There have been several awards to Barr-Sharrar over the years. The influential exhibitions that she did alone in Paris made her be awarded a lot of scholarly awards.

Pompe, who is considered as the personification of the procession existing between Dionysos and Eros, has their names inscribed. Pompe has the mantle that accentuates the nudity. She holds a wreath and then looks towards Dionysos, where they are seated and wearing a diadem. Further, the winged Eros then adjusts his sandals while appearing as performing departs. Gilt openwork basket, which is based on the ground, is the type that is used during religious processions and manages to carry sacrificial implements of the available sacrifice. The marches, therefore, are part of the Athenian festival, which is in honor of Dionysos. The Dionysos is probably found in the Anthesateria culminated as a form of sacred marriage between the god and the privileged wife of archon basileus. Archon is considered as one of the highest official representing the ancient kings of Athenian. Oinochoe handle is one of the most refined artworks. The graceful figure of Pompe shows that full-scale statues in the nude were being carved to show the work of the goddess Praxiteles.

However, most of the Greek Oinochoe was painted terracotta, and the used metal was probably the most common among the better despite the presence of varying vessel shapes. With the presence of other forms, the existence of giant versions of stones sometimes played a critical role in grave making. They often carved with reliefs. Some oenochoe are plastic, where the body is formed as a sculpture with more than one human head.

Oinochoe handle was made from an alloy of tin and copper. It was sometimes combined with small amounts of some materials, such as lead. Copper was one of the elements that were widely available during the ancient period of the Mediterranean. However, tin was scarcer, and it was available in Anatolia. In this case, tin combines with the available copper to ensure that they produce a specific metal alloy, which is stronger and made it easy to shape. The shaping technique varies because copper alone cannot be identified in fabricating a metal alloy, which is reddish and has a golden hue. However, when mixing, the ratio of tin and copper can be manipulated easily to produce a range of certain aesthetic effects on the handle. In natural history (34:2), Pliny writes that the handle made from Corinth was known for its use of subtle coloring. However, in today’s art, the most surviving oinochoe handle exhibits some green patina, and in their basic form, they would have developed a golden sheen.

The oenochoe handle was made in a wide range of shapes over a long period. The first class of handles was made during the eighth and ninth centuries and had large stands such as cauldrons and some other times; they were assembled in one piece. Cauldrons were initially used as a form of cooking pots, while in other cases, some were used as prizes during an athletic contest. The edges of the stands of the handle would be decorated efficiently with foreparts such as mythical creatures or protons of animals. In this artwork, images of powerful creatures such as horses and lions appear frequently, and they show the capacity of the handle to attract many admirers across the globe. For example, art is made up of a fantastic beast that has the body of a lion and includes the head of an eagle. The head of an eagle and shape of a lion were the favorite motifs as well as the use of the feline body that had a human head.

Conclusion

Oinochoe handle was one of the most significant original works that were made over an extended period and posed some material importance to Greeks. The handle is one of the best pieces of evidence on the techniques of decorative skills of Greeks. The artwork inspired artisans from other cultures to carry out their work with diligence. Additionally, the oinochoe handle was used as votive offerings, a reserve of currency, expensive gifts, and some of the most valuable grave goods. Many of these handles show first-rate craftsmanship and demonstrated the mastery of proportion and symmetry. The feature further intricates the existence of geometric patterns and the use of delicate floral motifs that were well orchestrated when designing the handle. Having close attention to the oenochoe handle shows that all shapes continue to intrigue and delight the users who may be pleased with the original owners.