MIDDLE CORINTHIAN, CIRCA 600-550 B.C.

The motif of the komast, sometimes referred to as 'padded dancer', was very popular in black-figure vase-painting. It first appears on Corinthian vases and is then readily adopted by Attic artists to the extent that a specific shape of drinking cup was then named after this decoration. The komos was a male ritualistic procession connected to the symposium. The komasts are depicted in the act of dance, often nude or wearing short padded dresses and holding drinking vessels.