Monumental Olpe (pitcher)

Why Is This Pitcher So Big? This pitcher is obviously far too large to use for pouring drinks. It probably marked the grave of a wealthy citizen of Athens, Greece, who lived some 2,700 years ago. The dense geometric patterns encasing long-limbed and slender-necked animals suggest an exciting visual world. Much costly work and skill went into making this giant vessel! It announced the family’s wealth and presence to anyone who saw the funeral or the grave. Whose grave did it mark? We don’t know. But we do know the names of many other ancient people whose graves contained the objects now in our galleries. Look to the left, for instance, to meet a young girl named Melisto (accession number: 1961.86), who lived about 400 years later in the same region of Greece. Caring for the Dead at the Harvard Art Museums