Cement works and some glass vase

This is Portland, Whangarei. My moms made me go once, there’s nothing there except some cement works. We parked on the side of the road to look at them and a fellow pulled up next to us to see if we had broken down. He couldn’t figure out why anyone would actually want to stop in Portland. Apparently there was also a chicken farm there at one point or maybe it was an egg farm. Maybe both? I don’t remember which came first.

This is the Portland Vase.

This is my interpretation of it for Roman Art class:

The Portland Vase depicts seven mysterious figures with only subtle indications as to their possible identities. There is potential to extract historical, mythological, and allegorical scenes from the piece making it difficult to narrow down the correct interpretation. While the story, along with any embedded symbolism, would have been instantly recognisable to a contemporary audience, modern viewers need to analyse each of the scenes and the relationship between them closely to ascertain the true meaning of the vase.

The inclusion of the cupid figure adds an element of confusion to the interpretation of the first scene. Due to the seemingly affectionate bond between figures A and B, the audience is led to believe that the flying cherub is symbolic of their love. However on closer inspection, the cherub does not appear to hover over the couples union, instead he is aligned with figure B and the serpent entwined around her. The two figures holding hands are not lovers, they are the same person. Figures A and B are the prophet Tiresias in both male and female form. The bond between the figures is demonstrative of gender transformation rather than romantic love, therefore the cupid figure is associated with the snake rather than Tiresias.

Although the myth has several versions, the account that the Portland Vase depicts is one where Tiresias stumbles across two copulating snakes in a field. As punishment for bludgeoning the female snake he is transformed into a woman and does not return to his male form for several years. Figure D on the far side of the vase is Zeus, alluding to another tale involving the seer. During an argument, Zeus and Hera summon Tiresias to give his unbiased opinion on sexual satisfaction due to his experience as both a male and female. Unhappy with the answer, Hera strikes and blinds him. To counterweight his wife’s vengeance Zeus does not restore Tiresias’ vision; instead he endows him with the gift of foresight.

On the other side of the vase, figures E and F seem to directly contrast figures A and B. It is difficult to establish what the relationship is between the pair, as the only link connecting them is the look of concern on figure E’s face. Similarly to the first scene, they are not portraying a relationship of lovers; instead it is one of mother and son. Telemachus looks over to Penelope who is reclining away from her son and between them on the ground are crumbled ruins, symbolic of the downfall of Ithaca in Odysseus’ absence. Figure G watching over Telemachus and the scene of Ithaca, is Athena. Divine intervention from the goddess plays a big role in the Odyssey, as she aids Telemachus and Odysseus both directly and indirectly.

Both scenes tell the stories of the struggles the two young men must face: Tiresias’ gender transformation and Telemachus’ impending battle against Penelope’s suitors. Other similarities that link the two scenes are a background of architecture and nature. In the Tiresias narrative, he stands before two columns which act as a portal; the position of the doorway seems to be a symbolic device signifying an entrance to a new perspective in life. The trees which shade Tiresias in female form provide scenery reflective of the field where the prophet originally stumbled across the snakes. In the Telemachus scene the framing columns are literal interpretations of the palace in Ithaca, while the trees behind Penelope remind the audience of Odysseus’ battle against the forces of nature as he tries to return home. The contrasting elements of each story are complementary which emphasises the relationship between the two.

However, the most important link between the scenes is the unseen figure of Odysseus. The Portland vase acts as a prelude to the hero’s journey home as both depictions represent events that occur before Odysseus interacts with the characters. Due to his prolonged absence at Troy and subsequent return voyage, Odysseus only knows Telemachus as an infant rather than the adult depicted in the vase. He does not meet Tiresias until after the prophet has died; encountering his ghost in Book XI of the Odyssey, the spirit of Tiresias offers advice to Odysseus regarding his return voyage.

A sister vase could easily be imagined to portray Odysseus’ meeting with Tiresias’ spirit and then his return to Ithaca. Nevertheless, without any other supplementary information the Portland Vase must be taken at face value, which shows the interpretation of Tiresias and Telemachus is the most likely and logical.

That is just a baby essay. If you’re lucky, I’ll post my research piece here too.

[To google searchers that stumble across this? I probably wouldn't recommend plagiarising, not only is it a personal interpretation piece - more importantly I am a far cry from being an A student. I get through life on my sass, not my grades.]

Tags: Northland, The Alchemist I mean Accountant I mean Editor, What job will Roman Art get me anyway?, Would marrying an archaeologist justify my Classics degree? We could solve ancient mysteries together!