Derveni Krater
| Derveni Krater | |
|---|---|
Inv. B1, Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki. Detail shown below. | |
| Material | Bronze with 15% tin |
| Height | 90.5 centimetres (35.6 in) |
| Weight | 40 kilograms (88 lb) |
| Writing | Funerary inscription in the Thessalian dialect of ancient Greek |
| Created | 4th century BC |
| Discovered | 1962 Derveni 40°43′13″N 22°58′17.2″E / 40.72028°N 22.971444°E |
The Derveni Krater is a volute krater, the most elaborate of its type, discovered in 1962 in a tomb at Derveni, not far from Thessaloniki, and displayed at the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki. Weighing 40 kg, it is made of a bronze with a high tin content of about 15%, which endows it with a superb golden sheen without use of any gold at all. It is dated to the 4th century BC, and was probably made in Athens. Large metalwork vessels are extremely rare survivals in Ancient Greek art, and the Derveni Krater is the outstanding survival from Hellenistic art, as the Vix Krater is from the Archaic period.