Order vs. Chaos. Comparing Corinthian and Etrusco-Corinthian Animal Friezes

Abstract

Animal friezes are a characteristic decoration of both Corinthian and Etrusco-Corinthian ceramics. Although these interconnected production styles are typically analysed either in isolation or by interpreting Etrusco-Corinthian pottery based on its Corinthian models, a comparative analysis offers the potential to provide new perspectives on both. By comparing the protagonists depicted in the frieze, the frieze’s structure, and its relationship with human figures and mythical scenes, this analysis highlights differences in the predictability and standardization of the world created by the seemingly identical animal friezes of the two productions. The diverse notions and roles assigned to these friezes provide an alternative interpretation of the history and decline of animal frieze decoration, challenging the commonly perceived dichotomy between the progressive trends of Corinthian as well as (at the time, closely related) Athenian vase painting, and the more conservative Etrusco-Corinthian ceramics during the first half of the 6ᵗʰ century.