This Athenian drinking cup is transformed into a mask when it is bought to the lips of the drinker: an illustration of the transformative powers of Dionysus and his role as god of theatre and impersonation. The cup would have been used during a symposium, when the opening prayer – and drink – would have been dedicated to Dionysus.
The English classicist and archaeologist John Beazley conferred the name ‘the Logie Painter’ on the artist who decorated this object in the Logie Collection: a ‘name piece’ such as this is the first attributable example linked to a specific artisan. The cup illustrates different techniques in Greek vase painting: the male head is in black-figure technique and the female head is in outline.
