The female figure represented in relief in this vessel coated with green enamel is thought to be the goddess Kore - a Greek word that means "young girl" - or Persephone, as she is more commonly known. She was the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, the goddess of the Earth. She was abducted by Hades and became Queen of the Underworld. However, every year she came back to Earth's surface with the first sprouts of the spring and did not return to her underground world until the time of autumn sowing arrived. As long as she was separated from her mother, it was winter and the soil was sterile. This legend was meant to explain the rhythm of the seasons but was also linked to the theme of life and death.
Provenance; Homs.
Era: Roman period.
Substance: enameled ceramic.
Dimensions: 26.5 x 19 x 10.8 cm.
Text: Fortin (P. 305).
Collection: National Museum of Damascus.
Michel Fortin, Syria, Land of Civilization. Les Éditions de l'Homme, Musée de la Civilisation de Québec 1999.
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