Athenian Eye Cups In Context Analysis

Sheramy D. Bundrick article titled: Athenian Eye Cups in Context is extremely insightful when it comes to terms of Athenian eye cups in the late sixth and early fifth century B.C.E., in addition to how it plays a role in exports and market selling. There are numerous types of Athenian pottery, eye cups are a unique and a perplexing topic that still has uncertainties when determining the functions and designs. Some of the main points brought up by Bundrick are: questioning if eye cups are purposed to be masks for Symposion, eye cups functions in Etruscan tombs, as well as eye cups in Vulci tombs and beyond. The curiosity towards Etruscans and their practices with eye cups and similar vessels is highlighted throughout. Eye cups functionality
One detail is that most eye cups are much too large to be lifted close to the face so one could drink from it. Some cups carried six liters of wine, that would be extremely challenging to drink from without spilling it. In continuation with dismissal of the mask theory, a single eye can be shown on cups, now a single eye would make it enormously problematic to resemble a mask for the drinker. Location and the circulation is one of the most compelling reason why eye cups are not to be considered as masks. In the data collected 107 eye cups, originating from Agora, Acropolis functioned as either symposia or typical communal drinking and dining. The cups found in this location did not appear to be of elite or upper-class homes. Evidence coming from sites in Agora and Well J2:4 showcases that Athenians who were located in this area most likely did not participate in drinking
Lekythos had a much different purpose, they were potentially planned for graves, no eye cups have been discovered in the area. In a women’s grave, who died before marriage, contained eye lekythos. Another place of importance to eye cups is the Athenian Acropolis. Three black figure eye cups found and they were made by the Leafless Group, they continually created eye cups for Athenians. On one of the fragments depicts Athena herself on an eye cup. Dealing with the pottery market in Athens black figure eye cups were primarily a domestic market. The Leafless group traded a huge amount of its products eastward additionally to the home market. The shipwreck Pointe Lequin 1A was of great insight on the export and trade of Athenian vessels. The wreck houses 700 Athenian eye cups, of that 700, 144 Type A eye cups that were made by the Nikosthenic Workshop. The Type A eye cups were exported to Etruria. Tombs in Etruria have had eye vessels inside them. Nikosthenic workshops mainly were dedicated for the Etruscan trade market. Athenian eye depictions were originally encouraged Etruscan workshops to implement eye motifs to their own black figure, however did not feel the need to create their own eye cups. In addition to Etruscan implementing eye motifs in their work, in pit tombs amphora have been found with eyes on them too. Since the circulation of Attic eye cups was