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  Magna Graecia: Greek Art From South Italy and Sicily > About the Exhibition > Agrigento > Louterion Rims
 
 
Komast Louterion Rim (about 510-500 BC)
Agrigento
Terracotta, mold-made, hand-finished
Museo Archeologico Regionale di Agrigento, inv. AG 21030
[Cat. no. 69]

Louterion Rims

A louterion is a water basin used in religious ceremonies. Here, fragments of the decorated rims of three such basins depict repetitive figural scenes, which were made with molds pressed into the wet clay before firing. The Komast Louterion Rim [cat. no. 69] shows nude men dancing around a large wine vessel (krater) to the music of a flute player. The wild, animated figures are caricatures, probably meant to be amusing.
The Nike Louterion Rim [cat. no. 70] depicts a race in front of a building with columns. The contest involves four-horse chariots and winged female beings (nikai) who each personify Victory.

Nike Louterion Rim (about 520-500 BC)
Agrigento
Terracotta, red clay with slip, mold-made, hand-finished
Museo Archeologico Regionale di Agrigento, inv. C 317
[Cat. no. 70]

Centauromachy Louterion Rim (about 425-400 BC)
Agrigento
Terracotta, red clay with slip, mold-made, hand-finished
Museo Archeologico Regionale di Agrigento, inv. C 323
[Cat. no. 71]
The Centauromachy Louterion Rim [cat. no. 71] presents a series of one-on-one duels between centaurs-half-horse, half-human mythological creatures-and Lapiths-a clan from Thessaly in northern Greece. According to legend, the centaurs were invited to a Lapith wedding and, after drinking wine, began to harass the Lapith women. To retaliate, the Lapith men battled the centaurs.


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