Late Byzantine Bowl with Harpy on Interior (DO BZ.1958.103)
The fascinating creature in the center of this ceramic bowl is known as a harpy, a human-headed bird. The harpy engages the viewer directly with piercing almond eyes. She is crowned with a three-pointed crown and wears beaded earrings. Vicious talons extend from her feet. Despite being made in a region originally controlled by the Byzantines, her three-pointed crown and other attributes indicate influence from Islamic imagery. While in classical Greek tradition the harpy was a siren-like creature who lured men to their deaths, in Islamic tradition a harpy could suggest prosperity, health, and happiness.
This bowl was made in the ancient Black Sea port city of Chersonese (modern-day Ukraine), long controlled by the Byzantine empire. When Seljuq armies conquered these regions, the Byzantines rallied their Christian neighbors in Europe, initiating the First Crusade in 1096. Byzantine potters took on Islamic motifs and designs and integrated them in their own work, as seen on this bowl with a harpy.
