Published by the American School with the support of the Getty Foundation, a new series entitled Ancient Art and Architecture in Context aims to demonstrate, through case studies of specific artifacts and monuments, that aesthetic study, contextual investigation, and technical examination are complementary tools in the quest to retrieve meaning from the past. By demonstrating the rich understanding that can be achieved through combining archaeological and art historical data, and integrating maps and plans of contexts with detailed images of objects, each book will show by example how archaeological and art historical approaches to the past have much to offer each other.
Launching the series is The Derveni Krater: Masterpiece of Classical Greek Metalwork by Beryl Barr-Sharrar. Published in January 2008, the book presents a detailed study of the Derveni Krater, a metre-high wine bowl discovered in 1962 near Thessaloniki and widely regarded as one of the masterpieces of ancient Greek art. Deposited in the tomb of a Thessalian cavalry leader, the bronze vessel features extraordinary decoration drawing on motifs developed in 5th century B.C. Athens. As well as linking the artistic traditions of Macedonia and Attica, the artifact also provides important information about the worship of Dionysus and the luxurious lives of the Hellenistic elite. Dr. Barr-Sharrar, a scholar from New York University, has been studying the Derveni krater for over 20 years with the support of the excavators, Professors Petros Themelis and Yiannis Touratsoglou, and Dr. Polyxeni Adam Veleni, director, and Dr. Despina Ignatiadou, curator, at the Thessaloniki Museum. Written for a wide audience, the volume features many illustrations in color and has been designed and produced to the highest standards.
Three more books are planned for the next five years.