Geometric Pitcher: Swans

c. 740–730 BCE

attributed to Swan Painter

(Greek, Attic, Late Geometric Ib-IIa)

Culture

Greek, Attic

Medium

ceramic

Measurements

Overall: 36.2 cm (14 1/4 in.)

Credit Line

Dudley P. Allen Fund 1924.259

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Location

102B Greek

Did You Know?

The stylized swans lend their name to the otherwise anonymous decorator of this vase.

Description

A common shape in the Late Geometric period, the pitcher often attains large dimensions, offering the painter multiple zones for decoration. Here, standing leaves encircle the shoulder, while the neck and body bear wide bands with alternating squares of swans and swastikas. Also known as a hooked cross, the swastika appears frequently as a decorative motif in Greek Geometric pottery, without any clear meaning. The swans, though somewhat abstracted to modern eyes, likely represent one of many waterfowl species native to Greece.