A calathus or ''kalathos'' ( grc, κάλαθος, plural calathi or ''kalathoi'' ) was a

basket A basket is a container that is traditionally constructed from stiff fibers and can be made from a range of materials, including wood splints, runners, and cane. While most baskets are made from plant materials, other materials such as horsehai ...

in the form of a

top hat A top hat (also called a high hat, a cylinder hat, or, informally, a topper) is a tall, flat-crowned hat for men traditionally associated with formal wear in Western dress codes, meaning white tie, morning dress, or frock coat. Traditional ...

, used to hold wool or fruit, often used in ancient Greek art as a symbol of abundance and fertility. These baskets were made by weaving together reeds or twigs. They were typically used by women to store skeins of wool, but they had other uses in the household. In Roman times, there are reports for baskets of these sorts to be used in agricultural activities like bringing in the fruits from the fields. Woman_spinning_MAR_Palermo_NI2149

The word was also used to describe ceramic

vase A vase ( or ) is an open container. It can be made from a number of materials, such as ceramics, glass, non-rusting metals, such as aluminium, brass, bronze, or stainless steel. Even wood has been used to make vases, either by using tree species ...

s designed in the shape of the calathus basket, which is the usual application in

archaeology Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landsca ...

, since vases have survived while baskets have not. The calathus usually had a narrow base and a flared top. The decoration on some of the ceramic calathi is taken to imitate the woven texture of a basket. This can be achieved by a painted design, but many calathi have open-work cut into their sides and some have impressed decoration. Calathi may occur with or without handles. In both the Greek and Roman worlds these baskets had many uses, but were especially associated with wool working and the harvest. The calathus is principally a multifunctional basket. Literary sources report that, depending on the context, the calathus could contain

wool Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool. ...

, but also food (bread, cheese, milk, fruits and vegetables), small animals or flowers. The calathi were most often made of

willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist so ...

rods, but other examples made from clay, metal, glass and stone are also known. A silver calathus with a golden rim is mentioned by

Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...

as belonging to Helen, this one even ran on wheels. Calathi are also depicted on

Greek vase Ancient Greek pottery, due to its relative durability, comprises a large part of the archaeological record of ancient Greece, and since there is so much of it (over 100,000 painted vases are recorded in the Corpus vasorum antiquorum), it has exe ...

s in other contexts. Illustrations on south-Italian vases make use of the calathus as a symbol of a future marital relationship. In

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ge ...

, a fragmentary figurine of a woman wearing a crown (

polos The ''polos'' crown (plural ''poloi''; el, πόλος) is a high cylindrical crown worn by mythological goddesses of the Ancient Near East and Anatolia and adopted by the ancient Greeks for imaging the mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele and Her ...

in the shape of a calathus) has been identified as

Aphrodite Aphrodite ( ; grc-gre, Ἀφροδίτη, Aphrodítē; , , ) is an ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, and procreation. She was syncretized with the Roman goddess . Aphrodite's major symbols inclu ...

. Similar crowned limestone heads have been found all over the island. The calathus has traditionally been interpreted as a

fertility symbol Fertility was often mentioned in many mythological tales. In mythology, fertility deities exist in different belief systems or religions. Fertility deities A fertility deity is a god or goddess in mythology associated with fertility, pregnancy, a ...

, reserved for goddesses or their priestesses.

References

External links

Kalathos from Kalymnos 1130BC-1090BC, British Museum

Kalathos : The Collaborative Numismatics Project

Mycenaen Ceramic Kalathos
Phoenix Ancient Art {{DEFAULTSORT:Calathus Ancient Greek pot shapes Basket weaving Containers Fertility Greek culture

See also

References

External links