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Animal-Shaped Vessels from the Ancient World: Feasting with Gods, Heroes, and
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Animal-Shaped Vessels from the Ancient World: Feasting with Gods, Heroes, and Kings Hardcover -

by Susanne Ebbinghaus (Editor)


From the publisher

Vessels shaped as bulls, lions, birds, donkeys, and other animals were routinely used to pour and drink liquids at feasts throughout the ancient world. Bringing together animal-shaped vessels from the Mediterranean, the Near and Far East, and the Americas, this fascinating cross-cultural study is the first large-scale consideration of this phenomenon. Experts from around the world reveal how these entertaining, often extremely lifelike vessels functioned not only as feasting paraphernalia but also as ritual implements, symbols of social status, and objects of artistic exchange and experimentation. Taking up questions ranging from the mechanics of drinking from such unwieldy containers to considerations of what the preference for these shapes says about the nature of human-animal relationships, this book uses a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach to offer a unique window onto the experiences of the individuals and communities who raised up these magnificent objects in pleasure and in praise. Distributed for the Harvard Art Museums


Exhibition Schedule:

Harvard Art Museums
(09/07/18-01/06/19)

Details

  • Title Animal-Shaped Vessels from the Ancient World: Feasting with Gods, Heroes, and Kings
  • Author Susanne Ebbinghaus (Editor)
  • Binding Hardcover
  • Pages 404
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Harvard Art Museums
  • Illustrated Yes
  • Features Bibliography, Illustrated, Index
  • ISBN 9780300237030 / 0300237030
  • Weight 4.8 lbs (2.18 kg)
  • Dimensions 11 x 9.5 x 1.7 in (27.94 x 24.13 x 4.32 cm)
  • Themes
    • Chronological Period: Ancient (To 499 A.D.)
  • Library of Congress subjects Decoration and ornament - Animal forms, Decoration and ornament, Ancient
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 2018018613
  • Dewey Decimal Code 748.83

About the author

Susanne Ebbinghaus is the George M. A. Hanfmann Curator of Ancient Art and head of the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at the Harvard Art Museums.