Bronze Monsters and the Cultures of Wonder

Nassos Papalexandrou is an associate professor of art history at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of The Visual Poetics of Power: Warriors, Youths, and Tripods in Early Greece.

• List of IllustrationsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroductionPart I. Griffin Cauldrons in Contexts of Life and DeathChapter 1. Eastern Mediterranean, Ionia, and the AegeanChapter 2. Mainland GreeceChapter 3. Italy and FrancePart II. Sources for the Lives of Griffin CauldronsChapter 4. Kolaios's Monster Cauldron at the Heraion of Samos (Herodotus 4.152)Chapter 5. Monsters in Images: Pictorial Representations of Griffin CauldronsPart III. Responses to the UncannyChapter 6. Vision of WondersConclusion. DisenchantmentNotesReferencesIndex

Papalexandrou presents a riveting body of material, griffin cauldrons, which have never received sustained discussion as a Mediterranean-wide phenomenon of the seventh century BCE. His treatment is comprehensive, with archaeological contexts discussed in detail. In addition, he astutely looks at the depiction of cauldrons in other media and contextualizes them in terms of literary references to artwork. This is a bold and creative book, rich in its interpretations and readings.— Nathan T. Arrington, author of Ashes, Images, and Memories: The Presence of the War Dead in Fifth-Century AthensPapalexandrou has assembled a magisterial study of bronze griffin cauldrons from the early Iron Age. Approaching the cauldrons as wondrous marvels, he recreates the ancient sensory experience of encountering these magnificent bronze creations. While the griffin cauldrons have been well studied with respect to typology and dating, this book offers a sweeping set of interpretations that enriches our understanding of this period.— Marian Feldman, author of Communities of Style: Portable Luxury Arts, Identity and Collective Memory in the Iron Age LevantDue to the extensive survey of the material, the sensible evaluation of the data, and the often-unusual ways [Papalexandrou] chooses, the approach is precise, understandable, and novel while always convincing . . . This book is recommended for advanced students and scholars of archaeology, ancient art history, and ancient history, as well as for young students and schol-ars interested in cultural and visual studies . . . For both audiences Papalexandrou's book is a great read.— American Journal of Archaeology[This book] is a thought-provoking and valuable contribution...offering  a  unique  blend  of archaeological rigor and theoretical imagination. This book is essential reading for scholars of archaeology and art history, as well as those interested in the broader cultural dynamics of the Mediterranean.— CLARA Classical Art and Archaeology