Red Figure Pelike with an Actor Dressed as a Bird

Vessel type While the historical term for two-handled vases with a large, bulbous bodies, such as this one, remains unknown, the term pelike (pl. pelikai) is generally used to refer to such vessels today. These vessels were used to store various liquids, such as wine and oil. Both the fact that Dionysus was the Greek god of both wine and theater, and the understanding that inebriation allowed individuals to lose their inhibitions and adopt new guises, similar to how actors assume various roles, help explain this common artistic practice. Figural composition On one side of the vase, an actor is depicted in a twisted and active pose with his left leg lifted in the air. He appears to be taking a large step forward. He wears tights that cover the bulk of his body and are decorated with black dots. These spots recall depictions of animal pelts. == Interpretation ==

The Red Figure Pelike with an Actor Dressed as a Bird is sometimes grouped with about twenty Greek pottery pieces that are referred to as the komos vases. These vessels all date to between 560 and 420 BC and primarily depict comedic choruses that are composed of either actors dressed as animals or actors riding animals. Gwendolyn Compton-Engle, a scholar of Greek drama, notes that in the case of these vessels, the term komos is used to refer to "highly organized spectacle," instead of "spontaneous, drunken postsympotic shenanigans." Aristophanes’ The Birds Due to the fact that the actor on this pelike is dressed as a bird, it has been suggested that the scene is connected to The Birds, a play by the Athenian dramatist Aristophanes. This symbolism can provide clues as to the meaning behind the costume of the performer within the context of an old comedy play. In particular, roosters were often associated with the contrasting themes of love and violence. As comedic plays often satirically critiqued various aspects of Greek life, the topic of pederasty may have been served as a valid theme for a play. On the other hand, the rooster costume may symbolize aggression or violence. In particular, the god of war Ares is said to have changed a man into a rooster for failing to alert him to the rising of the sun. Cock fighting was also a common practice in Greece at the time of this vessel's creation. Furthermore, scholar Eric Caspo has noted that a rooster's comb and wattle resembles Corinthian helmet types. Satyr plays This scene on this pelike has also been compared to scenes of satyr plays, especially in relation to the bird actor's costume. Specifically, both the bird actor and actors in depictions of satyr plays are shown wearing the same type of shorts, referred to as perizomata, that have a circular symbol on the hip. Satyr actors also have horse tails attached to their shorts, similar to how the actor on the pelike has an attached bird tail. Furthermore, the depiction of the bird actor, like all depictions of satyr actors, is ithyphallic. It is rare to find depictions of actors playing other humans with erect phalli. == References ==