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62-675: The Dipylon Amphora was found intact on an aristocratic gravesite at the Dipylon cemetery, near the Dipylon Gate , in Kerameikos , the ancient potters' quarter on the northwest side of the ancient city of Athens . The cemetery is referred to as such, for that it was located near the Dipylon , or "double gate", which was also the city gate. It is one of around 50 examples amongst the Dipylon gravesites attributed to an unknown artist given

124-445: A basket are the base, the side walls, and the rim. A basket may also have a lid, handle, or embellishments. Most baskets begin with a base. The base can either be woven with reed or wooden. A wooden base can come in many shapes to make a wide variety of shapes of baskets. The "static" pieces of the work are laid down first. In a round basket, they are referred to as "spokes"; in other shapes, they are called "stakes" or "staves". Then

186-530: A city gate, but also its ceremonial significance and monumental role as the starting point of the Panathenaic procession. The original, Themistoclean-era gate largely established the final shape of the structure and covered the same area as the Hellenistic structure, and was built of clay bricks on top of a pedestal of Poros limestone blocks. Its general shape resembles a right-angled trapezoid , with

248-576: A draped dead woman on a bier , with a checkered shroud above the body, and stylized mourners to either side. There are thirty-nine human figures total- both men and women- on the handle zone of the piece. Placed underneath each handle are six figures, with eight more on the backside panel, and a large group of nineteen people depicted on the frontal frieze. The tall cylindrical neck, includes bands of repeated stylized deer and goats. The goats in particular, are shown with their legs tucked underneath and heads turning back upon themselves, almost as if to simulate

310-510: A fact which earned Themistocles the hostility of many Athenians whose relatives' tombs were despoiled. During the Peace of Nicias (421–416 BC), the wall was complemented by a moat and a secondary wall ( proteichisma ). The construction of the Pompeion in the empty space between the Dipylon and Sacred Gate began shortly after, but was not completed until the next century. The Themistoclean Wall

372-465: A long tradition in Tamil Nadu and surrounding states. Chinese bamboo weaving , Taiwanese bamboo weaving , Japanese bamboo weaving and Korean bamboo weaving go back centuries. Bamboo is the prime material for making all sorts of baskets, since it is the main material that is available and suitable for basketry. Other materials that may be used are ratan and hemp palm. In Japan, bamboo weaving

434-487: A replacement for the palm fronds and/or re-use of discarded prayer mat materials. These baskets are strong and used for laundry hampers, planters, bowls, rugs, and more. Zulu baskets are a traditional craft in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa and were used for utilitarian purposes including holding water, beer, or food; the baskets can take many months to weave. Starting in the late 1960s, Zulu basketry

496-520: A result, it is assumed that many artists were compelled to return to Greek-rooted forms of art. Basketry and weaving were just some of the crafts possibly utilized for depicting visual motifs within Geometric vase painting. These types of crafts were first thought to be integrated by the Dipylon Master within the Geometric style, and would also elucidate why their works are amidst of some of

558-556: A set of double gates set further back from the line of the walls, so that a square court was created that, covered by the walls and four towers set in its corners, served as a killing ground against attackers. The gate received its name in the 3rd century BC; before that—possibly in combination with the nearby Sacred Gate—it was known as the Thriasian Gates (Θριάσιαι Πύλαι), as it led to the Thriasian Plain . Repairs to

620-580: A small entrance hall that was supported by three Ionic columns. The entrance was between the second and third column. The floor, which largely survives, was built of marble slabs from Hymettus . The proteichisma (προτείχισμα, "fore-wall"), which includes a wall as well as a moat in front of it, was erected during the Peloponnesian War, most likely as part of the repairs to the walls following an earthquake in 420 BC. They were extensively rebuilt under Conon, and again under Demetrios Poliorketes in

682-746: A tradition of coiled basketry, using the sedge grasses growing near the lakes and mouth of the Murray River . The fibre basketry of the Gunditjmara people is noted as a cultural tradition, in the World Heritage Listing of the Budj Bim Cultural Landscape in western Victoria, Australia , used for carrying the short-finned eels that were farmed by the people in an extensive aquaculture system. Native Americans traditionally make their baskets from

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744-547: A variety of grasses. These materials vary widely in color and appearance. Because vines have always been readily accessible and plentiful for weavers, they have been a common choice for basketry purposes. The runners are preferable to the vine stems because they tend to be straighter. Pliable materials like kudzu vine to more rigid, woody vines like bittersweet, grapevine, honeysuckle, wisteria and smokevine are good basket weaving materials. Although many vines are not uniform in shape and size, they can be manipulated and prepared in

806-435: A way that makes them easily used in traditional and contemporary basketry. Most vines can be split and dried to store until use. Once vines are ready to be used, they can be soaked or boiled to increase pliability. The type of baskets that reed is used for are most often referred to as " wicker " baskets, though another popular type of weaving known as "twining" is also a technique used in most wicker baskets. The parts of

868-535: Is a traditional practice across the Pacific islands of Polynesia . It uses natural materials like pandanus , coconut fibre , hibiscus fibre , and New Zealand flax according to local custom. Baskets are used for food and general storage, carrying personal goods, and fishing. Basketry has been traditionally practised by the women of many Aboriginal Australian peoples across the continent for centuries. The Ngarrindjeri women of southern South Australia have

930-538: Is a vital part of Mi'kmaw culture and art. Baskets were functional, used in agriculture, and also decorative. Mi'kmaw basket makers were renowned for their intricate patterns woven in bright colours. In New England , traditional baskets are woven from Swamp Ash . The wood is peeled off a felled log in strips, following the growth rings of the tree. In Maine and the Great Lakes regions, traditional baskets are woven from black ash splints. Pack baskets from

992-493: Is also a rural craft . Basketry is made from a variety of fibrous or pliable materials—anything that will bend and form a shape. Examples include pine , straw , willow (esp. osier ), oak , wisteria , forsythia , vines , stems , fur , hide , grasses , thread, and fine wooden splints. There are many applications for basketry, from simple mats to hot air balloon gondolas. Many Indigenous peoples are renowned for their basket-weaving techniques. While basket weaving

1054-400: Is one of the widest spread crafts in the history of any human civilization , it is hard to say just how old the craft is, because natural materials like wood, grass, and animal remains decay naturally and constantly. So without proper preservation, much of the history of basket making has been lost and is simply speculated upon. The earliest reliable evidence for basket weaving technology in

1116-426: Is plentiful and can be cut into any size or shape that might be needed for a pattern. This includes flat reed, which is used for most square baskets; oval reed, which is used for many round baskets; and round reed, which is used to twine; another advantage is that reed can also be dyed easily to look like oak or hickory. Many types of plants can be used to create baskets: dog rose, honeysuckle, blackberry briars once

1178-424: Is registered as a traditional Japanese craft ( 工芸 , kōgei ) with a range of fine and decorative arts. Southeast Asia has thousands of sophisticated forms of indigenous basketry produce, many of which use ethnic-endemic techniques. Materials used vary considerably, depending on the ethnic group and the basket art intended to be made. Bamboo, grass, banana, reeds, and trees are common mediums. Basketry

1240-418: Is still practiced today, for instance by Mike Dart ( Cherokee Nation ). Northwestern peoples use spruce root, cedar bark, and swampgrass. Ceremonial basketry hats are particularly valued by Northwest peoples and are worn today at potlatches . Traditionally, women wove basketry hats, and men painted designs on them. Delores Churchill is a Haida from Alaska who began weaving in a time when Haida basketry

1302-715: The Adirondack region have traditionally been woven from black ash or willow . Baskets are also woven from sweet grass , as is traditionally done by Canadian indigenous peoples. Birchbark is used throughout the Subarctic , by a wide range of peoples from the Dene to Ojibwa to Mi'kmaq . Birchbark baskets are often embellished with dyed porcupine quills. Some of the more notable styles are Nantucket Baskets and Williamsburg Baskets. Nantucket Baskets are large and bulky, while Williamsburg Baskets can be any size, so long as

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1364-616: The Eridanos river nearby. The Hellenistic gate complex was an altogether more massive and elaborate affair, being built of large finely hewn ashlar blocks, comprising a breccia core and covered with fine Piraeus sandstone slabs. Apart from the north-eastern landward tower, the cores of the others survive to some height even today; originally they were probably covered with a tiled roof. The curtain wall connecting them, originally 9 metres (30 ft) high and 4 metres (13 ft) thick and crowned with crenelations, some of which survive on

1426-683: The Heruli in 267. In its aftermath, the city contracted to a small fortified core around the Acropolis of Athens , but gradually recovered and expanded again during Late Antiquity , so that Emperor Justinian I ( r.  527–565 ) restored the Themosticlean Wall. Shortly after, however, the Slavic invasions began, and the Dipylon and the entire area were abandoned, fell quickly into ruin, and were buried. Archaeological excavations in

1488-722: The Negev in the Middle East, dates to 10,500 years old. However, baskets seldom survive, as they are made from perishable materials. The most common evidence of a knowledge of basketry is an imprint of the weave on fragments of clay pots, formed by packing clay on the walls of the basket and firing . During the Industrial Revolution , baskets were used in factories and for packing and deliveries. Wicker furniture became fashionable in Victorian society. During

1550-467: The Roman Imperial period , the city experienced a revival, and potters and metalworkers settled in the buildings around the Dipylon. During the long Pax Romana , the walls were allowed to fall into disrepair. With the onset of the barbarian invasions in the 3rd century, Emperor Valerian ( r.  253–260 ) restored the city wall, but this was not enough to prevent the sack of Athens by

1612-565: The notname of "the Dipylon Master ". Also known as the Dipylon Painter, the Dipylon Master is one of the earliest individually identifiable Greek artists, who specialized in not just large funerary vases, but pitchers, high rimmed bowls, tankards , as well as giant and standard sized oinochoai . This artist was therefore named for their supposed work on many stylized pieces found within these graves that have been ascribed to

1674-485: The "weavers" are used to fill in the sides of a basket. A wide variety of patterns can be made by changing the size, colour, or placement of a certain style of weave. To achieve a multi-coloured effect, aboriginal artists first dye the twine and then weave the twines together in complex patterns. Basketry exists throughout the Indian subcontinent. Since palms are found in the south, basket weaving with this material has

1736-550: The 300s BC, it remained standing and in use until the 3rd century AD. The Dipylon gate was built, along with the neighbouring Sacred Gate , in 478 BC as part of Themistocles ' fortification of Athens following the Persian Wars . The new circuit was much wider than the old one that was destroyed by the Persians, and many of the graves and monuments of the already existing Kerameikos cemetery were used in its construction,

1798-682: The Kerameikos area began by the Greek Archaeological Society in 1870, under St. Koumanoudis. At the time, the site was covered by up to 8 m of soil. Since 1913, excavations in the area have been conducted by the German Archaeological Institute at Athens . The Dipylon was the "largest gate of the ancient world", with a surface of c.  1,800 square metres (19,000 sq ft). Its extraordinary size points to its use not only as

1860-1220: The Middle East comes from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic phases of Tell Sabi Abyad II and Çatalhöyük . Although no actual basketry remains were recovered, impressions on floor surfaces and on fragments of bitumen suggest that basketry objects were used for storage and architectural purposes. The extremely well-preserved Early Neolithic ritual cave site of Nahal Hemar yielded thousands of intact perishable artefacts, including basketry containers, fabrics, and various types of cordage. Additional Neolithic basketry impressions have been uncovered at Tell es-Sultan (Jericho), Netiv HaGdud , Beidha , Shir, Tell Sabi Abyad III , Domuztepe , Umm Dabaghiyah, Tell Maghzaliyah , Tepe Sarab , Jarmo , and Ali Kosh . The oldest known baskets were discovered in Faiyum in upper Egypt and have been carbon dated to between 10,000 and 12,000 years old, earlier than any established dates for archaeological evidence of pottery vessels, which were too heavy and fragile to suit far-ranging hunter-gatherers. The oldest and largest complete basket, discovered in

1922-514: The World Wars some pannier baskets were used for dropping supplies of ammunition and food to the troops . Basketry may be classified into four types: Weaving with rattan core (also known as reed) is one of the more popular techniques being practiced, because it is easily available. It is pliable, and when woven correctly, it is very sturdy. Also, while traditional materials like oak, hickory , and willow might be hard to come by, reed

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1984-557: The amphorae and kraters, which is signified by the findings near and under the Dipylon Amphora. This funerary monument's size emphasizes the seemingly elite status of the deceased who is also presumed to be a woman, due to the vases commonly indicating the gender: kraters for men and amphorae for women. There is further evidence in the graves at the Dipylon cemetery containing items of wealthy women that indicated their status; these artifacts were discovered by amongst and within

2046-447: The audience of the piece so they can recognize the dedication of this individual. The nearby figures surrounding the noblewoman are likely grieving friends and family; all of the members of the funeral are shown displaying a symbolic gesture of intense grief in which the hands are elevated towards the head. Dipylon The Dipylon ( Greek : Δίπυλον , "Two-Gated") was the main gate in the city wall of Classical Athens . Located in

2108-458: The court, thus creating a fully walled-off enclosure. The walls could not hold off the Roman general Sulla , however, who in 86 BC sacked the city . Plutarch reports that the slaughter in the city was so great, that "blood flowed through the gate and flooded the suburb". The wall was repaired soon after, so that the city was able to withstand the attacks of Quintus Fufius Calenus in 48 BC. In

2170-543: The dead, and it has small handles on the shoulders of the ovoid body. The supposed purpose for the shape of the Dipylon Amphora potentially stems from the artist's usage of the composition for the decorated registers on the piece. A specialist of ancient ceramics, Dr. Thomas Mannack, indicates that the style of the Geometric period derived certain aspects of the Protogeometric and intertwined new features, hence

2232-505: The first figural scenes discerned on Greek vessels since the fall of the Mycenaean civilization. The Dipylon amphora illustrates the funerary practices of Athen's wealthy population, which is proven by its location at the aristocratic cemetery. These kraters and amphorae were positioned upright over the graves as markers and possibly functioned as libation chutes, as postulated by R.M. Cook. Alternatively, Jeffery M. Hurwit suggests that

2294-518: The fortifications in the Kerameikos were carried out under Demosthenes after the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 BC, but the wall and the Dipylon suffered heavy damage in an earthquake in subsequent years, so that they were rebuilt, following the original outline, in c.  307/4 BC , when Athens was under the control of Demetrios Poliorketes . In 267–262 BC, Athens participated in the unsuccessful Chremonidean War against Macedon ; lead tablets with

2356-505: The gates located on the cityward, right-angled lateral side. The bases were of unequal length, with the southern one projecting a bit. Square towers were located at each corner of the trapezoid. Archaeological evidence shows traces of later repairs, possibly under Conon , when the pedestal was covered with flat limestone blocks. Parts of the Themistoclean wall are preserved only between the northwestern and southwestern towers, but

2418-416: The invention of the very Dipylon Master. The belly of the vase between the handles is not only the widest section, but structurally the most delicate since the clay is the thinnest in width at that point, further dictating that the frieze within that format is the most important visual aspect of the scene. A rectangular panel between the handles on one side depicts a prothesis scene, the lying in repose of

2480-433: The large-belly handled amphorae. Painted amphorae of this size were made as grave markers . It is presumed that the vase was solely created for the dead woman depicted on the frieze. In the frieze, the woman's body is shown lying on a bier ; depicted on top of her is a checkered shroud that covers her entirely from the top of her head to her feet. Interestingly, the pall curves around the deceased to provide clarity for

2542-420: The late 4th century. Traces of the proteichisma survive particularly intact in the Kerameikos area, including remnants of 4th-century BC pitfall traps against siege engines , consisting of 2 metres (6.6 ft) high pithoi let into the ground. The proteichisma comprised an 8 metres (26 ft)–high wall, placed some 6 metres (20 ft) in front of the main wall. As the ground sloped heavily between

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2604-412: The late Hellenistic period, which were surmounted by marble apses. The pedestal of the central pier of the later set was built of marble spolia; in front of it, facing outward from the city, is a square marble pedestal, which may have hosted an equestrian statue of a Roman emperor or general. Just after the cityward gate, on the eastern side, between the gate and the stairway leading up to the wall, are

2666-517: The limberbush plant, Jatropha cuneata . In Greece, basket weaving is practiced by the anchorite monks of Mount Athos . Wolof baskets are a coil basket created by the Wolof tribe of Senegal . These baskets is considered a women's craft, which have been passed across generations. The Wolof baskets were traditionally made by using thin cuts of palm frond and a thick grass called njodax; however contemporary Wolof baskets often incorporate plastic as

2728-574: The mark and price of horses and their owners that date to this period, probably a record of the Athenian cavalry, have been found in a well at the Dipylon. In 200 BC, however, when Philip V of Macedon attacked Athens, the fortifications of the Dipylon helped the Athenians fend off the Macedonian king. In late Hellenistic times, a second wall with a double gate was added at the outer side of

2790-1003: The materials available locally. Arctic and Subarctic tribes use sea grasses for basketry. At the dawn of the 20th century, Inupiaq men began weaving baskets from baleen , a substance derived from whale jaws, and incorporating walrus ivory and whale bone in basketry. In Mi'kma'ki (composed of now Nova Scotia , New Brunswick and eastern Quebec , Canada ), the Mi’kmaq used plants and animals for their fibre and dye sources in their basketry. Two archaeological sites revealed traditional materials of moose-tendon fibres, cattail plant ( Typha latifolia ), true rush (Scirpus lacustris), sweetgrass ( Hierochloe odorata ), American beach grass (Amophilia brevingulata), birch tree ( Betula papyrifera ), white cedar ( Thuja occidentalis ), basswood (Tilia Americana), black ash ( Fraxinus nigra ), white ash ( Fraxinus americana ), poplar ( Populus tremuloides ), and red maple ( Acer rubrum ). Black ash, or wosqoq, basketry

2852-550: The meanders throughout the amphora. The Ancient Greeks had a plethora of inspiration from the surrounding regions' cultures, but the shift of political and social power presumably impacted the intake of artistic reference towards the Geometric style. Concerning the collapse of the Mycenaean culture, contact became closed off from highly developed surrounding Eastern empires that the Greeks referred to for artistry and innovation. As

2914-495: The modern suburb of Kerameikos , it led to the namesake ancient cemetery, and to the roads connecting Athens with the rest of Greece. The gate was of major ceremonial significance as the starting point of the procession of the Great Panathenaea , and accordingly it was a large, monumental structure, "the largest gate of the ancient world". Erected in 478 BC as part of Themistocles ' fortification of Athens and rebuilt in

2976-399: The remnants of a well house, which was supplied with fresh water through underground aqueducts. The present structure was probably erected during the gate's reconstruction in 307/4 BC, but likely also had a Themistoclean antecedent, of which two pipes and a few Ionic column bases survive. The structure was rectangular, divided into an L-shaped basin with low walls into which water flowed, and

3038-472: The same creator and workshop by multiple historians. The main characteristics of the Dipylon Painter's works include characteristic human figures where geometric shapes are utilized including triangular torsos that narrow at the waist, concave-outlined chests, prominent chins, and wasp-like legs that are thinner towards the feet. These figures are silhouetted, as well as the animal motifs , and are all deliberately placed as to not overlap one another, emphasizing

3100-465: The separated bands on the neck and body of the pottery. The geometric patterns are what define the style, with an array of shapes within and around the friezes : including battlements, concentric circles , meanders , and key patterns . The entirety of the vase, excluding the main frieze, is ornamented with precisely balanced patterns utilizing light and dark pigments ; these decorative forms including meanders have been proposed by multiple scholars to be

3162-401: The southern wall. Access to both the walls and the towers was through staircases, one of which survives behind the cityward southeastern tower. The northern cityward gate is still visible, but the southern one has been destroyed through the construction of a modern canal. However, the remains of the gate frames show that the gates were rectangular, in contrast to the second set of gates added in

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3224-523: The starting point (along with the adjacent Pompeion) of the ceremonial procession to the Acropolis of Athens during the Great Panathenaea . Outside the gate lay the Kerameikos cemetery and specifically the Demosion Sema, the state cemetery where the city buried its most honoured citizens. According to the 2nd-century AD writer Lucian , the walls of the gate were written over with graffiti such as love messages. In its original state, it comprised

3286-410: The theme of pattern by the painter. The amphora was made on a potter's wheel in three sections that were joined to form a single large vessel, standing at over five feet tall (1.55 m).The artist's construction was intended to fit the specific proportions of having the same height and width, and possessing a neck that's half of the body's length. The base has a hole to allow libations to be poured for

3348-804: The thorns have been scraped off and many other creepers. Willow was used for its flexibility and the ease with which it could be grown and harvested. Willow baskets were commonly referred to as wickerwork in England. Water hyacinth is used as a base material in some areas where the plant has become a serious pest. For example, a group in Ibadan led by Achenyo Idachaba have been creating handicrafts in Nigeria. Other materials used in basketry include cedar bark, cedar root, spruce root, cattail leaves and tule. Some elements that may be used for decoration include maidenhair fern stems, horsetail root, red cherry bark and

3410-418: The towers themselves preserved several Archaic-period funeral monuments that were used as spolia during their construction, and were recovered by archaeologists. The existence of two gates in the wall already during the Themistoclean phase is confirmed by preserved cart grooves; the southern gate is also crossed by a broad canal, which went parallel to the southern wall and then turned south, probably joining

3472-502: The two sides of the basket bow out slightly and get larger as it is woven up. Southeastern peoples, such as the Atakapa , Cherokee , Choctaw , and Chitimacha , traditionally use split river cane for basketry. A particularly difficult technique for which these peoples are known is double-weave or double-wall basketry, in which each basketry is formed by an interior and exterior wall seamlessly woven together. Doubleweave, although rare,

3534-439: The two walls, the space had to be filled in, thus creating a flat surface that served as a ring road , that in the 4th century ran around the entire circuit of the wall and was used to connect the various quarters of the city. Following the reconstruction of the walls in 307/4 BC, however, this ceased to be the case, as the proteichisma received a roofed chemin de ronde , blocking the road. The late 4th-century BC proteichisma

3596-465: The vase not only received offerings, but served mainly as a commemorative piece; it symbolized the noblewoman's memorial monument and signified her tomb. Athenians in previous centuries would cremate the dead and place their ashes in the properly designated vessels. However, this shifted when inhumations resurfaced in Greek religious practice and culture; and as a result the remains were placed underneath

3658-630: Was a dying art form due to the introduction of tin and plastic water containers. Kjell Lofroth, a Swedish minister living in South Africa, noticed a decline in the local crafts, and after a drought in the KwaZulu-Natal province and he formed the Vukani Arts Association (English: wake up and get going) to financially support single women and their families. In this time period of the late 1960s, only three elderly women knew

3720-461: Was built of fine ashlar breccia masonry. [REDACTED] Media related to Dipylon at Wikimedia Commons Basket weaving Basket weaving (also basketry or basket making ) is the process of weaving or sewing pliable materials into three-dimensional artifacts, such as baskets , mats, mesh bags or even furniture. Craftspeople and artists specialized in making baskets may be known as basket makers and basket weavers . Basket weaving

3782-500: Was in decline, but she and others have ensured it will continue by teaching the next generation. Indigenous peoples of California and Great Basin are known for their basketry skills. Coiled baskets are particularly common, woven from sumac , yucca , willow , and basket rush . The works by Californian basket makers include many pieces in museums. In northwestern Mexico , the Seri people continue to "sew" baskets using splints of

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3844-529: Was torn down after the Athenian defeat in the Peloponnesian War in 404 BC, but in 394 BC, with the help of Persian funds, the Athenian statesman Conon restored it. The gate was not only the principal gate for the city's communication with the rest of Greece—with roads leading both north to Boeotia and south to the Peloponnese , but also played an important part in the city's rituals, as

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