Calyx-krater 460 BC

Editor: So, here we have the "Calyx-krater," created around 460 BC by Douris. It's a ceramic vase covered in these lovely red figures on a black background. There is an array of figures that circle the vessel. What do you see when you look at the processes behind an object like this? Curator: What strikes me immediately is the immense amount of labor and specific skills involved. We see ceramic not just as a ground for 'fine art' narrative but also as its own sophisticated system with production of the krater itself, then firing and painting of figures, intertwining of artistic design, craftsmanship, and labor in creating something used in daily life. How does that affect your reading of the images painted on it? Editor: I hadn't thought of it like that! So the artistry extends beyond the painted figures to the actual shaping and firing of the vase itself, challenging that high art versus craft idea. I guess seeing it this way, it’s less about who's depicted on it, but more about the process of how it was made to begin with. But why make it so decorative if its use was primarily utilitarian? Curator: Think of it not only as purely utilitarian object but something intimately linked with communal ritual, reflecting social hierarchies. What would it mean, in social terms, to own a well-crafted object versus something more common, speaking to issues of power and prestige and artistic labor for certain communities? Editor: That makes perfect sense. It highlights how something seemingly simple involved complex societal production. I am struck by this dialogue between design and function that informs the value and how that integrates itself into everyday rituals. It offers a broader sense of cultural values as it pertains to this time! Curator: Precisely, recognizing the "Calyx-krater" this way reveals embedded stories not just about its representation, but about artistic innovation through process, production and class.