Hoplite Vase
By Prof. Michael Markowski
A
moving scene on this Classical Greek Vase: A Hoplite soldier in full armor
going off to war, shaking hands with a friend (father?). A woman (wife?
mother? friend?) brings a last drink for the long, dusty and dangerous road.
Interesting--people shook hands then just as now.
And a trusty Pooch is right there, keeping an eye on the bearded one.
A geometric design anchors the scene with a "floor" and "ceiling", along with organic leaves and branches to fill in some quiet spots. (British Museum, Photo by M. Markowski)
The Chinese at this time had achieved a fine technical mastery of terra cotta, but was highly stylized and lacked the humanist tendencies of the Greeks.
Information provided by: http://people.westminstercollege.edu