The ''epinetron'' ( el, ἐπίνητρον, : ''epinetra'', ἐπίνητρα; "distaff");
Beazley
Beazley is a surname, and may refer to
* Charles Raymond Beazley, British historian
* Christopher Beazley, British politician
* David M. Beazley, American software engineer
* John Beazley, British classical scholar
* Kim Beazley, current Australi ...
also called them ''onoi'', : ''onos'') was a shape of
Attic
An attic (sometimes referred to as a '' loft'') is a space found directly below the pitched roof of a house or other building; an attic may also be called a ''sky parlor'' or a garret. Because attics fill the space between the ceiling of the ...
pottery
Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other ceramic materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. Major types include earthenware, stoneware and por ...
worn on the thighs of women during the preparation of wool, not unlike a
thimble
A thimble is a small pitted cup worn on the finger that protects it from being pricked or poked by a needle while sewing. The Old English word , the ancestor of thimble, is derived from Old English , the ancestor of the English word ''thumb''.
...
for the thigh. Decorated ''epinetra'' were placed on the graves of unmarried girls, or dedicated at temples of female deities.
Because of the strong association between wool-working and the ideal woman and wife—as in the case of
Penelope
Penelope ( ; Ancient Greek: Πηνελόπεια, ''Pēnelópeia'', or el, Πηνελόπη, ''Pēnelópē'') is a character in Homer's ''Odyssey.'' She was the queen of Ithaca and was the daughter of Spartan king Icarius and naiad Periboea. Pe ...
weaving in the ''
Odyssey
The ''Odyssey'' (; grc, Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia, ) is one of two major Ancient Greek literature, ancient Greek Epic poetry, epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by moder ...
''—it is a shape associated with the
wedding
A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vo ...
. Its decoration was not exclusively related to its own use, though it often was. Often the top surface was incised to make it rough in order to rub the wool fibers. There was often a female head placed at the closed end, where the knee was covered. ''Epinetra'' were often decorated, sometimes depicting black figure amazon women, as in the case of an ''epinetron'' painted by the Sappho painter between 500 and 490 BCE.
References
External links
Ancient Greek pot shapes
{{ceramics-stub