A short video produced in Larnaca links a tiny corner of Athens with a massive organisation in Boston. And with luck will see similar projects linked to the new Cyprus Museum
How does an ancient vase link a massive organisation in Boston, a tiny corner of ancient Athens, and little old Larnaca? The answer lies in a stunning animated video: an inspired production that highlights one of the rarest pieces of pottery known to man. Entitled Figures in Red, the short film depicts the massive shift in artistic styles which, millennia ago, shook the known world…
2,500 years in the past, the Keramikos district of Athens was home to master potters, whose work was celebrated far and wide. You’ll have seen the vases yourself, with their stylised depictions of ancient myths and mighty gods. Originally painted in what was known as ’black-figure style’ (in which the slip – a special mixture made from chemicals and clay – was applied only to the characters being depicted, leaving the background red) these vases were considered a homeware prize; the Arco lamp or Eames chair of their time.
