Bronze Kalpis (Water Jar) with Siren Attachment

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Bronze Kalpis (Water Jar) with Siren Attachment

Place of OriginGreece

Dateabout 480 BCE

DimensionsH: 13 13/16 in. (35 cm); Diam (mouth): 5 5/16 in. (13.5 cm); Diam (with handles): 13 5/32 in. (33.4 cm); Diam (body): 11 1/32 in. (28 cm); Diam (foot): 4 3/4 in. (12.1 cm)

MediumBronze

ClassificationMetalwork

Credit LinePurchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1975.63

Not on View

DescriptionA bronze hydria of the kalpis shape (a continuous curve from neck to foot), featuring two horizontal handles for lifting and one vertical handle for pouring. The vertical handle is decorated with a cast attachment in the form of a siren—a mythological bird-woman—located at the base where the handle joins the shoulder. The vessel stands on a molded foot. The surface shows heavy corrosion and encrustation consistent with archaeological burial; internal restoration includes a screening mesh to stabilize the walls.

Label TextThis bronze jar, known as a hydria or kalpis, was designed to carry water, but its material and decoration suggest a more ceremonial function. Bronze vessels were valuable commodities in ancient Greece, often serving as prizes, diplomatic gifts, or cinerary urns for the elite. The vertical handle features a siren—a mythological creature with the body of a bird and the head of a woman. In Greek art of this period, sirens were frequently associated with mourning and the afterlife, suggesting this vessel may have been intended for a tomb.Published References"Treasures for Toledo," Toledo Museum of Art Museum News, vol. 19, nos. 2, 3, 1976, p. 49.

Exhibition HistoryTreasures for Toledo: Seven Years of Collecting, The Toledo Museum of Art, 1976.Comparative ReferencesSee also Diehl, Erika, Die Hydria, Formgeschichte und Verwendung im Kult des Altertums, Mainz, Philipp von Zabern, 1964.