Daily Life in Ancient Greece
Bathing vessel (loutrophoros) depicting a bridal procession (detail), Greek, Classical Period, 450–425 BC. Ceramic, Red Figure. Francis Bartlett Donation of 1900.
Unknown artist, girls playing knucklebones, Greek, South Italian, early Hellenistic period, 330–300 BCE. Terracotta. Bartlett Collection—Museum purchase with funds from the Francis Bartlett Donation of 1900.
The Priam Painter, Water jar (hydria) with women at the fountain (detail), Greek, Archaic Period, about 520 BCE. Ceramic, Black Figure. William Francis Warden Fund.
Bathing vessel (loutrophoros) depicting a bridal procession (detail), Greek, Classical Period, 450–425 BC. Ceramic, Red Figure. Francis Bartlett Donation of 1900.
Unknown artist, girls playing knucklebones, Greek, South Italian, early Hellenistic period, 330–300 BCE. Terracotta. Bartlett Collection—Museum purchase with funds from the Francis Bartlett Donation of 1900.
The Priam Painter, Water jar (hydria) with women at the fountain (detail), Greek, Archaic Period, about 520 BCE. Ceramic, Black Figure. William Francis Warden Fund.
Imagine yourself in ancient Greece in the 6th and 5th centuries BCE. This gallery presents an engaging visual introduction to the complexities of daily life in ancient Greek society: who the ancient Greeks were, how they lived, and how they commemorated the dead. The 250 works on view are organized around themes such as women and the family, athletes and warriors, mourning and remembrance, and industry and exchange. The objects include works of art and everyday pieces, from finely carved marble reliefs to bone dice and a bronze fishhook. The conservation of these works involved a variety of cutting-edge methods, drawing on the latest advances in the field to update our knowledge of the ancient world. The gallery features an interactive display inviting visitors to identify members of a wedding procession depicted on a rare ceramic vessel from 450–425 BCE that was used to carry bathwater for prenuptial purification.
- Daily Life in Ancient Greece Gallery (Gallery 212A-B)