Our poetry is life

This is a truly beautiful and rare picture - I'm very happy I stumbled upon it and want to share it with all of you. 

This is Matsi Hatzilazarou, a Greek poet, standing in front of the Apollo temple at Ancient Corinth. 

The photograph was taken by her husband, the Greek poet Andreas Embirikos, in June 1940, during their honeymoon in Corinthia and the Argolid.  

*The post's title is by a poem written by Matsi Hatzilazarou 

Τα λουλούδια των δέντρων είναι τα πουλιά.
Το σιγανό κελάηδισμα της θάλασσας είναι η πτώση
της βροχής στο τελευταίο τεμπέλικο κύμα τού ακρογιαλιού.
Τη μυρουδιά τού ήλιου τη χύνει το σφαγμένο πεπόνι.
Η ποίησή μας είναι η ζωή.

Greece's Glory Contemplating

This is the famous Greek actress Aliki Vougiouklaki posing in a cameo with a meander frame. The inscription she holds says "Greece's Glory Contemplating". 

The Metaxa scarf

This is a rather rare find: a scarf designed by the well-known Greek designer Yannis Tseklenis, for the Greek brandy Metaxa. 

*UPDATE*

Many thanks to archaeologist Alexandros Andreou who was quick to provide the inspiration for this image. Tseklenis, rather unsuccessfully, copies a scene from the so-called Eurytios krater, a Corinthian column crater found in Cerveteri dating ca. 600 BC. 

The De-lightful Caryatid

This post is courtesy of fellow archaeologist Vasko Demou. Many thanks Vasko!

This year's poster for the 19th Athens International Film Festival, made by Jonathan Burton, features a... de-lightful Caryatid. 

Here's the link to the Festival's site 

The Lebanese Poseidon

This photograph is courtesy of my dear friend Kostas Paschalidis to whom I extend my deepest thanks. 
He informs me that this is the sign of the Beirut Yachting Club featuring none other than Poseidon with trident in hand. 

Minoan fresco in Andros.

It is with great pride and joy that I present through this blog an amazing discovery done by my dear friend and avid researcher, Mania Kostopoulou. 

Mania recently discovered this extraordinary Minoan fresco on the island of Andros. It is as yet the first of its kind, but in fact no surprise to all students of Minoan culture, who would expect Minoan influence to have reached the island at least by the Neopalatial period. 

Not only is this a unique occurrence on Andros but a unique Minoan fresco as well regarding its subject. As you may see part of a standing male musician to the left survives playing a double flute. He is wearing the characteristic Minoan kilt with phallus-sheath and double belt, his wavy long strands of hair flowing in the back. Facing the musician was another human of which only the hands survive, stretched towards the male musician, belonging seemingly to a female figure, with three beaded bracelets on the right wrist. This human appears to be positioned higher and portrayed in a larger scale, so perhaps a divine figure is depicted enjoying the musician's performance. 

Hopefully more frescoes like this one will come to light after the systematic research of the bar, now lying in ruins, the walls of which they decorated. 



*Disclaimer* 
This is a humorous piece referring to a modern fresco decorating the walls of a modern bar on the island of Andros. 

UPDATE

More photographs from the interior of the bar provided by Mania Kostopoulou and Paris Stefanidis (many many thanks guys!) 

Juvenalia in Poland

Sophia Katseli, reporting from Poland, informed me (via our good mutual friend Marianna Tsigakou) of the customary celebration of student spring break week in Poland involving dress-up and drinking activities. 

They appropriately call the whole celebration juvenalia or piastonalia and, as you can see from the photographs kindly provided by Sophia, some dress up (or undress, depends on how you see things) inspired by Roman and Greek antiquity. 

Though this seems more Roman than Greek, I have to say I was really smitten by the way a

young student uses his nice black-figured amphora. 

*Many thanks Sophia and Marianna!*