Object type
kalathos
Fabric
common Iberian painted pottery (Fontscaldes)
Culture/period
Protohistory and Iberian world
Materials
pottery
Technique
wheel-thrown
Mint
Production date
-200
Current location
MASPG
Archaeological site
Mas Castellar
Township
Pontós (Europa, Espanya, Catalunya, Girona, Alt Empordà)
Dimensions
285 x 315 mm
Description
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Ceramic cylindrical container, called calathus or "top hat" because of the similarity of the shape if the vessel is inverted. Indigenous production, with a cylindrical or conical and horizontal edge that imitates a Greek original, it displays diverse profiles and decorations. Large in size, it is decorated with vinous paintings attributed to the Fontscaldes workshop (Valls, Alt Camp). It has two forked and intertwined handles, which are not functional because they do not protrude to allow the piece to be held, and therefore they only serve as a decorative element that, in turn, frames a space with a star motif, delimited by sides with wavy vertical lines. The rest of the exterior wall of the piece is decorated with two friezes, separated by a series of horizontal lines. The upper frieze, occupying almost two thirds of the surface, is decorated with large ivy leaves and other plant and geometric motifs. The lower frieze, in contrast, is decorated with concentric semicircles of different thickness, which are interspersed with wavy vertical lines. Finally, the rim displays a series of linked triangles, so-called "chevrons", which have only been partially preserved. The fact that the piece was found in a pit or silo, interpreted as a more than likely votive deposit, reinforces the idea of the use of the “top hat” in certain rituals.
© Museu d'Arqueologia de Catalunya - Girona
Omeka ID
268