Boeotian black figure skyphos

On this skyphos we see young women involved in daily activities. The names of the figures are recorded in Boeotian alphabet. On one side Euarcha and Qodoma are crushing seeds or nuts with large wooden pestles in a vase set on high base, while on the left of the scene Eupharia is spinning. On the other side we can see a partially preserved bathing scene (one of the earliest in Greek vase-painting). Euarcha is washing her hair over a metal basin, while Euphrosyne pours water on her. A third female figure on the left is largely damaged. Above Euarcha part of an inscription (possibly of votive character) is preserved. The areas below the handles are decorated with animal figures (a dog with the name Philothera, and a lion).

The fact that Euarcha is depicted in both sides suggests that she was the lady of the house, surrounded by her servants. This suggestion is supported by her very name, which in Greek means “she who administers well”. Bathing scenes are often associated with the preparation of the body for the wedding. This fact, combined with the presence of a possibly votive(?) inscription, may suggest that the skyphos was an offering to a sanctuary on the occasion of a wedding.

PUBLICATION
– Maffre J. 1975. ‘Collection Paul Canellopoulos (VIII). Vases béotiens’, Bulletin de correspondance hellénique, 99, 409-520, esp. 467-476.

– Wacther, R. 2001. Non-Attic Vase Inscriptions, Oxford, 345 coll. no. ΒΟΙ 10..
– Eleftheratou S. 2006. Catalogue no. 34, in Choremi-Spetsieri Α. – Zarkadas Α. (eds), The Paul and Alexandra Canellopoulos Museum. Ancient Art, Athens, 56-57.

– Tsoukala V. 2012, «Εικόνα και λόγος περί γυναικείας αρετής: μια νέα ματιά σε έναν βοιωτικό σκύφο του ΜουσείουΚανελλοπούλου», in Ε. Kephalidou and D. Tsiaphaki (eds), Κεραμέως παῖδες, Thessaloniki, 189-197.