Look, Describe, Interpret, Connect Assignment

Running Head: FRAGMENT OF A VASE DEPICTING BERENIKE II

Fragment of a Vase Depicting Berenike II

Mohammed Alshammari

Arts 1301-73342

Eric Eley

May 19, 2021

FRAGMENT OF A VASE DEPICTING HERENIKE II 2

First Question

Title: Fragment of a Vase Depicting Berenike II

FRAGMENT OF A VASE DEPICTING HERENIKE II 3

Date Created: Between 246 and 221 BC, From Egypt, Alexandria

Medium: Faience

Art Period: Ptolemaic Period

Size/Dimensions: Height: 15 cm, Width: 7cm, Depth: 3.7cm

Repository: Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY City

Question 2: Looking at the Item

The things I notice from the artwork are:

1. Horn

2. Pillar

3. Queen

4. Broken hand

5. Missing neck

6. Expensive dress

7. Clay

8. Altar

9. Vase

10. Braided hair

3. Describing the Art Work

The artwork portrays a female figure adorned like a queen, and that shows that the female

figure is a queen. As can be seen, the queen stands between an altar and a pillar holding a horn-

like item in her left hand (Fragmentary Oinochoe, n.d). The horn-like vessel is filled with what

is presumably a libation. The queen is adorned in an expensive dress, an attributes that points to

Commented [EE1]: Are you speaking of the figure's neck or the neck of the broken vase? If the vase overall, you can't notice something that isn't there. Concentrate on what you can see

Commented [EE2]: How do you know it is expensive? What are you seeing that tells you this?

Commented [EE3]: How are you seeing clay?

Commented [EE4]: Where is the altar?

Commented [EE5]: Concentrate on describing what can be seen. It is not about meaning or contextual information. Describe exactly what you can see, the figure, jagged edges, color, etc. Use the elements and principles as your guide.

Commented [EE6]: Repetitive. Without research would you know she is a queen? Concentrate on what can be seen for this questions. It is about doing a clear visual description.

Commented [EE7]: Again, where is the altar? It isn't visible.

FRAGMENT OF A VASE DEPICTING HERENIKE II 4

the wealthy status of the queen. Further, the artwork manifests a confident queen who is

probably enjoying numerous privileges in her kingdom. The queen’s dress covers her legs.

4. Interpretation of the work

From the description above, there are several stories amplified by the antiquity. One of

the stories revolves around sacrifices. Libation in the classical world was connected to pouring

libation ceremonies, which were intended to appease the gods (Fragment of a Vase Depicting

Berenike II, n.d). The queen is standing between the pillar and the altar, a place where sacrifices

were made to appease the ancestors and gods (Fragmentary Oinochoe, n.d). The type of dressing

and the mood of the work depicts that the sacrifice is possibly being offered to funerary gods.

The queen is seemingly sad and frustrated, and as a way of recollecting herself, or rather

obtaining favor from the gods, she takes libations to the altar.

Another story conveyed by this piece of artwork is political. Queen and kings relate to

political issues. Therefore, the community from which the artwork was made was a kingdom,

since; kings or queens are synonymous with a kingdom. There can be no king or queen without a

kingdom. Additionally, the other story conveyed by the artwork is that the political class in this

society, or rather, the kings and queens were wealthy individuals. The nature of dressing of the

queen represents her economic status because; she is dressed in expensive apparel. She also has a

cornucopia which is a symbol of wealth and prosperity. From that perspective, the queen was

languishing in immense wealth or the kingdom was very prosperous.

Question 5: Connecting the Art Work and the World

The image reminds me of Greece since it is closely related to the antiquities that were

located in Greece. The faience that depicts the queen is a result of interaction between the Greeks

and the Egyptians. Also, the oinchoe shape and subject matter depicted by antiquity is largely

Commented [EE8]: What is your interpretation? What did you think when you first saw it? Why? THEN what contextual information did you learn that supports your observations?

Commented [EE9]: Connect this more to your own experiences. This reads like reiterations of things you have read. Look at the question and its prompts, be sure you address them

FRAGMENT OF A VASE DEPICTING HERENIKE II 5

connected to those that were found in Greece (Fragmentary Oinochoe, n.d). The aspect of gods

was common in the Greek world, and so, the connection between the queen and the gods, is also

related to Greek traditions.

I always believe that the political class is constituted of wealthiest individuals. The vase

is largely connected to this concept because of how the queen has been portrayed. She looks

wealthy and prosperous. Art reflects society, and so does this antiquity.

FRAGMENT OF A VASE DEPICTING HERENIKE II 6

FRAGMENT OF A VASE DEPICTING HERENIKE II 7

References

Fragmentary Oinochoe (Getty Museum). The J. Paul Getty in Los Angeles. (n.d.).

https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/102762/unknown-maker-fragmentary-

oinochoe-greek-ptolemaic-243-222-bc/. Date Accessed: May 18, 2021

Fragment of a Vase Depicting Berenike II 246–221 B.C. metmuseum.org. (n.d.).

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/551799. Date Accessed: May 18, 2021

.

FRAGMENT OF A VASE DEPICTING HERENIKE II 8