Ancient treasures: Epinetron enriches museum in Münster!

Ancient treasures: Epinetron enriches museum in Münster!

On April 16, 2025, Dr. Giorgios Kavvadias from the National Archaeological Museum of Athens has an impressive Epinetron on permanent loan to the Archaeological Museum of the University of Münster. This almost 2,500-year-old object fills a significant gap in the museum's holdings and represents not only a valuable cultural asset, but also a fascinating artifact of ancient Greek ceramic art.

An epinetron is a clay pot that was originally worn while sitting on the thigh and was used in wool processing. However, its function changed over the centuries: it increasingly became a status symbol and was often used as a high-quality grave item. The Epinetron exhibited in Münster comes from the grave of a woman in Athens and testifies to the high artistry of the potters of the time.

The path to the loan

The loan of the epinetron was initiated by an earlier donation to the National Archaeological Museum. In 2019, the University of Münster presented an antique drinking vessel, a Skyphos, which was once presented as a prize to the first Olympic marathon winner Spiridon Louis. This Skyphos subsequently came into the possession of a National Socialist who lived in Athens in the 1930s via unknown channels. The Archaeological Museum later acquired the Skyphos in the 1980s without knowing the object's origins. Dr. Kavvadias finally discovered the vessel's true origins in the mid-2010s.

To honor the cultural connection, the University of Münster decided to return the Skyphos to the Greek state in 2019. It is now exhibited in the Museum of the Ancient Olympic Games in Olympia. In addition, a few months ago a delegation from the university brought back to Greece an ancient marble head whose origin was determined to be in Thessaloniki. Dr. Kavvadias praised these initiatives as a sign of scientific ethics and respect for Greek cultural heritage.

Importance of ceramics

Greek pottery, which dates from around 1000 to 400 BC. It not only presents important vase forms, but also offers fascinating insights into the cultural practices of the ancient Greeks. Clay vessels are a durable material and serve as essential tools for archaeologists and historians to reconstruct the chronology of ancient Greece. Most vases were used in everyday life, and the clay ubiquitous in Greece, especially the highly prized Attic clay, was the main material for pottery.

The art of pottery involved several steps, including making it in horizontal sections and firing it multiple times to achieve the desired colors and finishes. Decorative techniques played a crucial role; many vases were decorated by painting with black adhesive paint. These artistic processes were often carried out by specialized potters and painters in partnerships.

Greek pottery developed over the centuries into four main styles: Protogeometric, Geometric, Black-figure and Red-figure pottery, with each style having its own distinctive features. Black-figure and red-figure pottery in particular allowed a diversification in the depiction of figures and narratives that reflect the everyday life and cultural practices of the ancient Greeks. Despite all these developments, the quality of ceramic painting experienced a decline in the 4th century BC. A decline occurred in the 1st century BC, which affected the art form.

Finally, Prof. Dr. Achim Lichtenberger describes the symbolic meaning of the loan of the epinetron, which not only represents an example of how to deal with problematic origins, but also underlines the ongoing obligation to preserve and value the ancient heritage. Epinetra are rare examples of Greek painted ceramics, aimed specifically at women and embodying a remarkable part of the cultural identity of antiquity.