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| Marriage Altar (about 400-350 BC) Taranto, Masseria Vaccarella Terracotta, mold-made, hand finished Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Taranto, inv. 208343 [Cat. no. 11] |
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Marriage Altar (about 400-350 BC)
Taranto was a major center for the production of terracotta altars during the 4th century BC. They were used in the home and as the focus of funerary or religious rituals involving libations, or dedications of offerings such as fruits, ribbons, or perfumed oil. This altar depicts a wedding (gamos) initiation ceremony in which the goddess of love, Aphrodite (at the right), directs her son, Eros, toward the bride, seated at the left. The bride lifts her veil, a gesture performed at the culmination of the wedding. By exposing herself to the glance of the groom, her status as wife became official.Page 4 of 7 | On the next page: Female Half-Figure Mold (about 350-300 BC)