Terracotta plate 325 BC

This terracotta plate was created by the Kantharos group, potters working in Greece in the sixth century BC. The plate is decorated using the black-figure technique, which involved painting the figures in black silhouette and then adding details with incision. This particular plate depicts a female head, possibly a goddess or mythological figure. We can interpret this imagery through the lens of social history, and consider the role of women in ancient Greek society and how they were represented in art. Was this plate used in religious rituals or was it a common household object? By studying the plate, along with archaeological reports and classical texts, we can learn more about the culture that produced it and the ways in which art and life were intertwined. The meaning of this plate is something that is contingent on social and institutional context.