Last of the pics from Provence

[debitha]

On our last full day in France it rained horribly, so we went to the Musee Lapidaire. It has the sculptures from the Calvet Museuum collection. It's a cute wee place, with a fascinating collection, and a sense of intimacy with the art. I don't know if I can make more sense about it than that. I think it was that a lot of it was freestanding rather than in big full-wall cases.

Anyway. Here are a few of my favourite shots.



Krater, if memory serves.


And again. Belly amphora, in fact. Thanks Sass!


A cup, although I can't recall what type. I'm pretty sure it's not an oinoche. Skyphos - thank you Anne and Sass.


Cupid chasing a Grasshopper


A very old Christian tombstone with some fascinating imagery.


Rhyton


Monster (I've never seen anything like this anywhere else!)



And one last one to finish up. I am not above using small children for photos if it's convenient.

Comments

[annemjw.livejournal.com]

Ummm, I didn't study vases ever, but I just taught it (I know, it was interesting, believe me). I believe that's a skypiios. Oinochoe are more like jugs.

[debitha.livejournal.com]

I did, but it was over 10 years ago, so I excuse myself for being rusty. :oP

I knew you guys would be able to tell me, anyway.

[sassafrassle.livejournal.com]

First one *might* be a krater (volute fo shizzle) but it looks like south Italian and they made stuff more florid and uglier so I'm not such an expert (by virtue of trying to stay away from them). The second is definitely a belly amphora, and as is said above, the cup I believe is a skyphos as oinochoe are jugs with offset necks I think (I'm trying to remember whether the offset necks are on an oinochoe or olpe and am too lazy to google:). VASE GEEK FOR THE WIN!;p And I love the craziness of the rhyta - the Myceneans did some fantastic ones:) I'd also love to know a bit more about the monster's background

I love the random small child pic:)

[debitha.livejournal.com]

I knew you guys would know!

All I have for you on the monster is the label, which helpfully reads:

Monstre Androphage: La Tarasque de Noves
Probablement ler siecle apres Jesus-Christ
Provenance: Noves (Bouches-du-Rhone)

(Edited because LJ part of the description.)

[sassafrassle.livejournal.com]

Hm, all that says is that it's a person-eating monster from 1st century AD! (om nom nom)

[debitha.livejournal.com]

What I find interesting is that the faces on the decapitated heads are look quite Asian, which makes me wonder whether it was moved west at some point in its history. There must be something about it that allows them to pimpoint that it's c1AD.

[sassafrassle.livejournal.com]

Hey hey. Random unrelated comment - I sent you an email via facebook in the hope it would ping to your current email addy but I'm thinking no joy! I must catch up with you about the Greek Isls - let me know best way to contact you electronically plskthx:)